And the Deal Goes On
by cindy123
Summary: Sequel to The Deal.  Sam's still blind.  So, just how is he and his family dealing?  Read to find out!  Some hurt/limp Sam later on...awesome big brother Dean, equally awesome John, Pastor Jim, possibly other characters you know.  OFC coming up too.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all! So, as a lot of you may know, I'm burning the candle at both ends and in the middle too! That's right I have not one, not two, but three stories going right now. I have had the most amazing reaction to the first two so I decided why not start posting this one too. This just happens to be the sequel to The Deal. This deals with Sam's continuing blindness and how it has impacted he and his family. I hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own 'em...wish I did, but I don't! **

**And The Deal Goes On**

_**Two Years Blind**_

No sixteen year old kid should have to feel left out for any reason, but to be left out because he couldn't see just made it that much worse. Especially when considering the reason the kid was blind. Dean watched his brother, solemn and slumped as he stood alone on Pastor Jim's porch, and the older teen just wanted to cry. Dean wanted to cry out to his father to turn the truck around, that it wasn't right leaving Sam behind. That it wasn't Sam's fault he'd been hurt on the last hunt…that it had nothing to do with Sam's blindness. Yes, he wanted to cry out, but he knew it would do no good. John was set on doing this hunt without Sam. His youngest son's serious injuries, courtesy of the werewolf they had hunted a month ago had scared the man beyond words. _It was too dangerous_, John had said in the face of Dean's and Sam's protests. _Sam is still healing_, he had said. And yes, Dean had been scared out of his mind too, but that was beside the point. Sam hadn't been hurt because he was blind, Sam had been hurt because Dean and John had been arguing…very unprofessional, thank you very much…and it was all John's fault. Stubborn, never wrong John Winchester had been just that and Dean had said as much and the fight was on. Sam paid the price for his father's stubbornness...and he was still paying.

"Dad…you promised we wouldn't leave Sammy behind…ever," Dean muttered, the teen unable to keep silent even though he knew it would do no good. He turned his head toward the man in the driver's seat, green eyes staring pleadingly at his father.

John glanced over and sighed. "We're not leaving him behind," he insisted. "We'll be back within the week. We've been over this, Dean…this one is too dangerous for your brother."

"This is how it starts, Dad. You taking on more and more dangerous hunts…Sam being dumped off at Jim's or Bobby's. Why can't we just do like we've done the past two years?" Dean queried, voice tinged with anger.

"We can't keep taking all the easy, no brainer hunts and leaving the bigger ones to others even though we're the closest ones to the action," John shot back, the man irritated at the direction the conversation was taking.

"Yes we can. You said Sammy came first. You said…"

"And he does! That's why he's staying at Jim's for a few days while we take care of this banshee. We're the only ones available and people are dying, Dean…Sam's feelings will just have to be hurt a little."

John wouldn't admit to Dean how much it hurt to leave Sam behind. How much it hurt to know that he had broken his promise to his baby. The look on Sam's face when they had driven away…yes, John had been watching too…had nearly killed the man, but better that then to lose his boy altogether. He knew he was in hot water with his sons…Dean mostly, as Sam was more hurt than angry…but he did what he had to do. He had to keep both of his sons safe and if that meant leaving Sam safely at Jim's then so be it. Just like the werewolf hunt that had nearly cost him his baby, there was nobody else available for this hunt. He had to take it and he needed Dean. He'd made the mistake of taking Sam into the deep woods the last time, he wasn't going to make that mistake again.

"You don't even get it, Dad. You don't understand how terrified Sam is that eventually he's going to be left behind for good. This isn't just about hurt feelings," Dean finally said, his voice breaking John from his thoughts.

"Sam will be just fine, Dean. You're just being dramatic," John rebuffed.

"Really? So, Sam crying himself to sleep last night was him being fine? Me having to wake him up after listening to him beg not to be abandoned? Whether you see it or not, he's terrified, Dad."

"So, you'd rather put his life at risk…"

"No! I'd rather we stick with the plan we laid out two years ago. No dangerous hunts and lots of down time so Sammy can go to the proper schools!" Dean shouted.

John turned toward his son, dark eyes flashing angrily. "Don't raise your voice to me! You know there is no such thing as no dangerous hunts…anything could happen at any time. Sam can't see…"

"Then we quit hunting."

"You know we can't do that. There are few enough hunters as it is, Dean. We can't just quit so that Sam can have a cushy life. He's going to have to get used to sometimes staying at Jim's or Bobby's. Not all the time, just sometimes," John snapped.

Dean huffed bitterly at his father's words. "Cushy life? Are you freakin' kidding me? Sammy doesn't want a cushy life…he just wants to be included. He wants to be treated like an important and needed member of this family!"

"And he is! I just can't needlessly put him in danger, Dean! Why can't you get that through your thick skull! Man, I thought Sam was the stubborn one!"

"Dad…have you forgotten why Sam is blind in the first place? He deserves to be treated with respect…he doesn't deserve to be shoved to the side like he's disposable or something!"

And at that, John had had it. He swerved the truck toward the side of the road, slammed on the brakes and turned to his eldest son, face red with anger. "How dare you! I have not forgotten how Sam came to be blind! I treat that boy with respect and I most certainly do not treat him like he's disposable! I'd lay down my life without a single hesitation for him! I know it hurt him to have to stay behind…it hurt me so damned much to drive away, but I had no other choice in this situation! I can't lose him…I can't lose either one of you, but I can't leave those people helpless and at the mercy of that banshee either! If there was any way at all I could justify bringing Sam, I would." John shook his head and turned away from his son's shocked face. He could hear Dean's heavy breathing and he waited for the young man to let him have it. Instead…

"Dad," Dean said on a sigh. "I'm sorry…I shouldn't have said that. I'm just…I'm not there to protect him. This is the first time in two years we've been away from him. I don't feel good about this at all."

John sighed himself then turned to face his son. "I know…I don't feel good about it either, but what do we do? Do we leave that town at the mercy of the banshee? Tell me, Dean…what do we do?" he asked softly.

Dean dropped his eyes then finally glanced back up at John. "No," he replied. "We kill the bitch then we get our asses back to Sam where we belong."

"Okay then, let's kill this bitch!" John said with a grin.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X XX X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Sam stood on the porch and listened until he could no longer hear the sound of his father's truck as it drove away. He pushed away from the pillar he was leaning against and turned then carefully felt his way toward the front door of Pastor Jim's small house. He stepped into the house then reached beside the doorway for his cane. He hated using the cane, but it was necessary to avoid embarrassing and painful falls. He'd learned rather quickly that his safety was more important than his vanity. He made his way to the kitchen where he could hear the pastor rattling pots on the stove. He eased into his chair, leaned his cane against the table then rested his elbows on the table. He folded his hands together and rested his forehead on them. He sighed heavily as he leaned back in the chair.

"Samuel, is everything okay?" Pastor Jim called from his place in front of the stove. The old man turned to watch his young charge and smiled sadly at the look of pure misery on the young teen's face.

"I'm fine, Pastor Jim," Sam answered softly.

Jim shook his head and proceeded to fill a bowl with the stew he'd fixed for lunch. He placed crackers and a piece of honey buttered cornbread on a dessert plate then carried the bowl and plate to the table. He placed the food in front of Sam then returned to the stove to serve up his own lunch. He set his food on the table then took a seat across from Sam. He watched for several minutes as Sam fiddled with his stew, but frowned when no food actually made it to the teen's mouth.

"You need to eat, Samuel. Your father and brother will have my hide if you lose weight while under my care," Jim said evenly.

"Not really hungry…sorry you went to all this trouble," Sam murmured miserably.

"I know that you're worried, but your family will be back before you know it…"

"They left me behind, Pastor Jim. Dad promised he never would, but he did and Dean just went along with him."

"Your father didn't want to leave you here, but he knew the hunt would be too dangerous for you to go along. It's a one time thing, son," Jim explained.

"No…he thinks I'm holding him and Dean back. It won't be long before he leaves me behind for good. I should have known," Sam cried softly.

"Sam…you couldn't be more wrong. Your father agonized over this. He called me yesterday trying to find anybody who could take this hunt. There just isn't anyone else available. You know your father can't leave innocent people in danger. He asked my opinion about taking you…told me how scared he'd been when you were hurt by the werewolf. We both decided that you coming here would be the best thing. He'll never leave you behind for good," the pastor consoled, his heart going out to his charge.

Sam lifted his head and stared in Jim's direction. "Really?" he whispered, face filled with sudden hope, eyes still expressive despite their lack of sight.

"You know I wouldn't lie to you, Samuel. Your father loves you so much and he only wants what's best and safest for you. And Dean…he was so angry. I heard them argue about leaving you. Dean wanted you to go, but John finally won the argument. I don't think you realize just how much your family loves you."

"I know they love me…I know that they'd die for me. It just hurts, you know? I mean…I feel like I'm a liability or something."

"No…don't feel like that, son. Your father and brother don't view you that way. In fact, I've had a few conversations with John about how impressed he is with you."

Sam's eyes widened and Jim had to chuckle. "Samuel, the way you've carried yourself in the wake of losing your sight? It is very impressive. You could have felt sorry for yourself, but you didn't. Instead, you took it upon yourself to learn Braille. You've kept up on your studies and even help research on hunts whenever you can. You train with Dean and have become quite good at hand to hand despite your blindness. Your father is so proud of you."

"What? No…he didn't say that. He would never say that," Sam murmured softly.

"No…you're right," Jim stated, the man reaching out and squeezing Sam's arm when the teen slumped in his seat. "He didn't say it, but…I could see it in his eyes and I could hear it in the tone of his voice. Whether you believe it or not, your father is proud of you. He may not say it, but he feels it, Samuel."

Sam gazed in the pastor's direction and smiled softly. "You really think so?" he whispered.

"I know so," Jim answered.

"Thanks, Pastor Jim," Sam said softly.

Jim smiled and leaned forward on his arms and gazed thoughtfully at Sam. "Eat your lunch, Samuel. Once you're done, I've got some new books for you," he said.

"Okay…cool," Sam said before digging in.

Jim watched Sam, a fond smile playing over his lips. The smile didn't last long though. He knew that it wouldn't be long before Sam started doubting again. While the boy possessed an insane amount of intelligence, he lacked self-confidence and esteem. If John and Dean took too long on this hunt, Sam would start to believe that he truly was being left behind. Jim said a silent prayer that there would be no problems with the banshee so that the boy's family would return within a few days.

"Pastor Jim…is something wrong?" Sam's voice called causing the holy man to jump slightly.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Samuel…what were you saying?" Jim asked as he focused his attention back onto Sam.

"Um…I'm done," Sam answered.

Jim looked down at the empty bowl in front of Sam and smiled. "You did good there, child. Let me just clean this bowl then we'll go check out those books," he said as he reached for the bowl.

Jim finished the dishes then turned toward his charge. "You ready?" he asked as he moved beside Sam.

"Yes, Pastor Jim," Sam answered politely as he reached for his cane.

Soon, the young teen was following the sound of Jim's footsteps, the two ending up in Jim's study. Jim made sure Sam was settled behind his desk before retrieving the books he'd found for Sam. He placed them before the boy and watched as Sam deftly moved his fingers over the raised bumps on the cover. Sam looked up and smiled. "I love Huckleberry Finn! How did you find it in Braille?" he asked excitedly.

"Oh, I shopped around. There's a lot of books that have been published in Braille," Jim answered.

Sam nodded then moved to the next book. "Moby Dick!" he exclaimed.

"The other one is about myths and monsters," Jim said.

Sam ran his hand over the cover of the book and smiled. "Thanks, Pastor Jim," he whispered, the smile dropping from his face as he continued to touch the book.

"Sam, don't worry about them. They'll be fine and they'll be back before you know it," Jim said.

Sam nodded as he raised his head. "I know they will…this time."

**TBC**

**Okay, what do you think? I have a special OC coming up in probably chapter 3...(you know who you are :D) So, let me know what you think. I'll be working hard to get updates on all three stories...man, what am I thinking? Love you all!**

**Cindy**


	2. Chapter 2

**The intent was to get this chapter finished so I could post it Saturday night. Well, my youngest son's state bowling tourney was this weekend...out of town...so, yes I took my laptop with me, but being the absent minded old lady that I am, I forgot my power cord and didn't have the battery power to do any writing. I had to access the internet by the hotel's business center computer. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter. Here goes.**

**Cindy**

It took John and Dean two weeks to make it back to Jim's. Sam had stopped talking after day six, had barely eaten since then either. John's last phone call had been that day, the man telling Sam that he and Dean were going to be later than expected and that phone calls would probably be sketchy at best. Sam had hung up the phone, turned toward the stairs, cane in hand and had disappeared into his room, Jim not seeing the teen until the following morning. It had been a quiet breakfast, the pastor trying everything to get Sam to talk, but nothing had worked. Sam had picked at his food, a mere forkful maybe actually reaching his mouth. After a while, the teen had stood and felt his way to the trashcan where he dumped the cold remainder of his food before setting his plate on the counter. He'd dropped his head and shuffled out of the room. Jim had found him later, sound asleep on the sofa, tear marks staining his flushed cheeks. Sam slept the afternoon away then made another dismal attempt at eating dinner before retiring to his room, only to completely miss breakfast the next morning. It was only when Jim had threatened a hospital trip that Sam began to eat at all, and then it was barely enough to keep his body functioning.

Now, as Jim stood in Sam's room and watched him sleep, his tired eyes gazing sadly down at the teen, he truly began to wonder about the boy's well being. Dark smudges circled his eyes and Jim knew he'd lost weight. If John and Dean didn't return home soon, a trip to the hospital would become more than a threat. As if in answer to Jim's many prayers, a distant rumble suddenly reached the pastor's ears, the rumble drawing closer and closer as Jim quietly stepped to the window and drew back the curtains. He let out a relieved breath when John's truck rolled into view then he turned from the window and walked silently, yet quickly from the room. He was standing on the porch of his small home, arms crossed over his chest when John and Dean dragged themselves, tired and filthy, from the truck. John took one look at the pastor and knew he was in for it.

"Jim, before you say anything," John started as he dragged himself up the steps. "We…"

"Save it, John. I don't want to hear your excuses. I don't see any major injuries…you're both walking on your own. Now, your baby boy on the other hand is another story," the holy man interrupted, his voice indicating he had no desire for any back talk.

"Wait…what?" Dean cried as he reached the top steps. "What's wrong with Sammy? Where is he?"

Jim glanced over at the young man and sighed. It wasn't Dean's fault and he knew it and he wouldn't take out his anger on the kid when he could see the toll the separation from his brother had taken on him. "He's up in his room, sleeping. He…"

"Sleeping? At this time of day?" John asked sharply.

"It's pretty much all he's done since your last phone call, John. He hasn't spoken a word and has barely eaten. I was considering taking him to the hospital today," Jim answered just as sharply.

Dean, hearing the word hospital, dropped his bags where he stood and rushed into the house. Jim and John could hear his heavy footfalls as he ran up the stairs, the older man turning back to glare in disapproval at his younger friend when the footfalls faded away.

"How could you leave him alone this long, John? You knew what he was thinking when you left," Jim asked softly as he took in the worried look in John's eyes.

"The hunt wasn't as easy as I'd thought it would be, Jim. Besides, he wasn't alone…he was with you," John answered as he leaned over and pulled Dean's bags up from the porch floor.

Jim reached over and took the bags from his friend then shook his head. "You're pretty dense, John. Yes, the boy was with me, but I'm not his family. He needs you and Dean, not me. I truly believe he thought you weren't coming back for him after you called the last time and then as the days passed…well, you need to go see for yourself," he said before slipping past his friend and disappearing into the house, leaving John to stare after him, dark eyes drifting up to the window of the room the boy's shared while staying with the pastor.

John dropped his eyes and slowly walked into the house. He trudged up the stairs and moved down to a room at the opposite end of the hall from his son's room. He dropped his bags on the floor and sat down on the edge of the bed. He rested his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together as he looked out the door to the half closed door at the other end of the hall. He'd give Dean a chance to talk to Sam before he went down. He imagined he was very unpopular at the moment and he knew Dean was the only one who could smooth things over and make it better. John lay back on his bed and draped his arm over his eyes. He'd messed up by not finding a way to call his son, but he'd made the right decision in not taking him on the hunt. John knew with every fiber of his being that Sam would have been hurt if he'd been there. As it was, he and Dean had been extremely lucky to have made it out in one piece. He'd make it up to Sam one way or another. His son would forgive him as he'd always done in the past. At least that's what John hoped would happen.

sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn

Dean hurried to the bedroom he shared with his brother, but stopped just outside the door and carefully peered through the opening at the bed furthest from him. All he could see was a mound of blankets with a dark mop of hair sticking out at the top. He smiled softly then quietly stepped into the room. He silently made his way to the bed and sat down on the edge of the mattress, his green eyes looking at the back of his little brother's head. Sam mumbled something in his sleep then slowly rolled over so that he was now facing Dean. Dean held in a gasp when he took in the pale complexion, sunken cheeks and dark smudges around Sam's eyes. _'Oh God, Sammy…I'm so sorry,' _he thought as he reached out and brushed the hair from Sam's eyes. Sam's eyes scrunched up before slowly opening to reveal the soft hazel beneath the lids.

"Hey, sleepyhead…'bout time you woke up," Dean said softly.

"D-Dean?" Sam whispered, voice husky and hoarse from sleep and lack of use.

"The one and only," Dean replied as he pulled the covers down to Sam's stomach. "What's this I hear you haven't been eating? Jim's been pretty worried about you, kiddo," he continue.

"I…I didn't think…I…"

"You didn't think we were coming back did you?" Dean asked, guilt knotting in the pit of his stomach as he noticed how weak his baby brother was. "Sammy, I promised you we'd be back and when have I ever broken a promise to you?"

Sam raised his sightless eyes and smiled warmly. "You…are you and Dad okay? You're not hurt are you?" he asked softly.

"We're fine…a little tired and a lot dirty. That banshee was a real bitch!" Dean answered.

"But you got her? She's not gonna hurt anybody else?" Sam asked.

"Yep, got her…finally, but she didn't go down easy. That's what took so long. I thought Dad explained all of that to you," Dean replied.

Sam rolled his head on his pillow until he was facing up at the ceiling. "I…I thought…I don't know…I just…" he stammered weakly.

"It's okay, Sammy…we're here now. I get it, I really do. I was so pissed when Dad made you stay and then when we realized it was going to be harder than we'd originally thought, I was just like…no way. Even Dad wasn't sure what to do. He actually called around, but nobody was near enough to take over," Dean explained.

Sam turned his head and Dean could see tears in his eyes. He reached for his brother and pulled the teen up to his chest, his strong arms enveloping the much smaller boy as he held him tight. "I'm sorry, Dean…I just…I felt so lost and…and, God, Pastor Jim…I've really been a pain to him," the teen cried softly into Dean's neck.

"Shh, it's okay, Sam. He's just worried about you," Dean said, his hand rubbing gentle circles over Sam's back.

Sam leaned into his brother and just allowed the comfort he offered to calm him. He didn't care if Dean thought he was a baby. Yes, he probably would later on, but for the moment, it was just he and Dean and he didn't feel alone anymore and that's all that mattered. The brother's remained this way for several minutes until Sam finally pulled away. Dean pulled the pillows up and propped them behind Sam before helping the weak teen to lean back against the headboard. Sam relaxed back, but his fingers managed to wrap themselves around Dean's wrist and the teen held on as if for dear life. Dean looked down at his wrist and smiled. He'd missed Sam so much…so damned much it physically hurt while he was away. Now, the pain in his stomach and his head and his heart was gone. He was where he was meant to be, doing what he was born to do…taking care of his little brother. He shook his head as he looked down at his brother.

"What am I gonna do with you, Sammy?" he whispered affectionately.

Sam smiled warmly, but the smile dropped when a soft knock sounded at the door. Dean looked over his shoulder and nodded as John eased into the room. "Hey, Dad," he said.

John nodded then turned his dark eyes onto his youngest son. "Sam…I think we need to talk," he said softly.

Sam raised his eyes toward his father's voice and nodded. "I know…I'm sorry," he whispered.

John moved into the room and kneeled down next to the bed. "No…don't say you're sorry. You have nothing to be sorry for," he said, his dark eyes looking up at his eldest son then returning to his youngest.

"Uh…I, um…I think I'm going to go grab a shower. I'm smelling myself and really can't stand myself right now," Dean said. He looked down at Sam's hand still wrapped around his wrist then gently pried the thin fingers away. "I won't be long, Sammy. You and Dad talk," he said as he stood and stepped back from the bed.

"Okay, Dean," Sam said.

"I'll be right back, kiddo then I'm gonna get some food into you. You look like a super model during fashion week," Dean said with a smirk.

"Ha, ha…funny, Dean," Sam grumbled.

"I'm serious, Sam. You were skinny before, but now…well, you could give Kate Moss a run for her money. I'm just saying," Dean replied.

"Dean…go take your shower," John said as he glanced up at his son.

Dean nodded and turned toward the door. He slipped through the door and pulled it shut behind him. John waited until the door closed before turning back to his youngest son. He cleared his throat while he repositioned himself up onto the bed near Sam's hip.

"Sam, look…I'm sorry. If I could've gotten back here earlier, I would have. I hate that I had to leave you here with Jim, but I just couldn't take the chance of you getting hurt. If there'd been anyone else who could've taken the hunt, I would have turned it down," John said, his dark eyes watching Sam's face intently.

Sam nodded slightly, but kept his chin down. "I know, Dad. You didn't need me in the way," he whispered.

John reached out and took Sam's hand in his then gave it a gentle squeeze. "No, Sammy…you're never in the way. In fact, you've been a tremendous help on the hunts we've been on. This one though, just something about it…I just couldn't take that chance with you. I couldn't handle you getting hurt," he said.

Sam lifted his chin then bit his lower lip. "Dad?" he asked meekly.

John leaned closer and gave Sam's hand a light tug. "Yeah, squirt?" he replied.

"Are you going to leave me here during every hunt now? I mean, I guess I understand, but…well…I like Jim and all, but…but he's not you. I missed you and Dean so much," Sam stammered nervously.

"Sam…I'm not planning on leaving you during hunts. There may be times that I think it'd be better to have you stay out of the hunt, but only in extreme circumstances," John answered.

When Sam swallowed and his eyes began to glisten, John gently pulled the boy up and into his arms. He rested his chin and Sam's head and hugged him close to his chest. "Sammy…I'm never going to leave you behind. I promised you that and I intend to keep my promise. You are my son and I love you more than anything else in the world. If I leave you with Jim or Bobby sometimes, it's only because I could never forgive myself if anything happened to you. I will always come back for you…always," he said softly, dark eyes closed as he held his baby boy tight.

"Thanks, Dad," Sam whispered within the embrace.

sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn

Dean followed Sam as the teen slowly made his way to the table in Jim's kitchen. He stood just behind his brother as Sam sat down, ready if the weak boy stumbled. Once Sam was seated, he moved to the cupboards to find something to fix for lunch. Sam looked as though he hadn't eaten in weeks, which Dean figured wasn't very far from the truth. Well, big brother was back and he was going to fatten his little brother up even if it meant force feeding the stubborn teen.

"So, Sammy, what do you want to eat? Soup and sandwiches? Cereal? Grilled cheese?" Dean asked as he looked over his shoulder at his baby brother.

Sam glanced in his direction and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't care…anything is fine," he answered softly.

"Okay, well, Jim said you haven't eaten much lately so I don't want to overload your stomach, so…I think maybe some oatmeal and toast. You should be able to handle that," Dean said absently as he searched for the oatmeal.

"Okay, Dean," Sam said.

Dean turned and stared down at his brother. "Sammy…you okay?" he asked.

Sam nodded and smiled. "I'm fine…just tired," Sam answered.

Dean watched Sam for a moment then turned back to the cupboards. Finally, he found what he was looking for and within a few minutes he had the oatmeal simmering on the stove. He turned when he heard someone enter the kitchen.

"Jim, I'm fixing some oatmeal. You want some?" Dean asked as he turned back to the stove.

"No, Dean, but thank you for asking. Where's your father?" Jim answered as he took a seat at the table.

"He's up taking a shower. He was stinking up the place worse than I was. He'll be down in a few minutes," Dean answered.

"Well, I'm sure he'll want something more substantial than oatmeal for lunch. You too I would imagine," Jim said.

Dean shrugged then looked over his shoulder at Jim. "Nah, I'm going to have oatmeal and toast with Sammy," he said.

"Dean, you don't have to. You can have something else," Sam said softly.

"Not really all that hungry for much. I want to have something light then I want to take a nap for a week," Dean said.

"Okay…if that's what you want," Sam whispered.

The kitchen fell into a comfortable silence before Sam's soft voice broke that silence. "Um…Pastor Jim?" he murmured nervously.

Jim turned to look at Sam and smiled. "Yes, Sam?" he asked.

"I…I'm sorry," Sam answered.

Jim furrowed his brows as he reached for Sam's arm. "For what?" he asked.

"For worrying you. I shouldn't have done that to you. You've been nothing but good to me and I…I was pretty rotten for putting you through what I did the past week," Sam replied.

Jim patted Sam's arm and smiled warmly even though Sam couldn't see it. "Sam…you haven't been rotten. You've been depressed and…well, I suppose you've been more than a little worried about your family? In fact, I'd be willing to bet that's the biggest reason for your shut down. Am I right?" the holy man asked.

Sam pursed his lips before letting out a heavy sigh. "Yeah…when they didn't call, I thought…I thought maybe…" he answered softly.

Dean stepped to the table and knelt down next to Sam. "Sammy…why didn't you say anything? That's why you weren't talking and eating? Because you were worried about Dad and me?" he asked as he stared at his brother's face.

"Well…part of me thought you'd left me, but…but you both promised you'd be back so then…when you didn't call and you didn't come back, I thought something had happened. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you guys. I…I…"

Dean reached up and touched Sam's face. He smiled when Sam turned face him. "You're not going to lose us. You're stuck with us, squirt," he said.

"But, if Dad's gonna start taking these dangerous hunts again, I could, Dean! I could lose you and then…what would I do?" Sam cried.

"Sam, there's plenty of people who would take care of you. You don't have to worry about that," Dean said softly.

"That's not what I'm talking about, Dean! I can't live without you and Dad! It has nothing to do with who would take care of me! I can't lose you…I…don't you understand? I gave up my eyesight to keep you with me, Dean…I don't have anything else to give. I can't save you again…not without giving up my life and I couldn't do that to you and Dad!" Sam cried out as he turned his head away.

"Sam…you thought you were giving up your life before and you still made the deal," Dean said.

Sam dropped his chin and drew in a deep breath then blew it out slowly. "That's when I thought you were both better off without me…when I thought Dad could live without me, but not without you. When I thought that eventually you'd be happier without me dragging down the hunts," he whispered forlornly.

Dean dropped his eyes and squeezed back the tears that threatened to fall. He couldn't believe how little Sam had once thought of himself and it hurt him deeply to think about it now. "God, Sammy," he murmured.

"Sam…you don't ever have to worry about saving either one of us. We're not going anywhere," John's gruff voice sounded causing Dean to jump before he glanced up to see his father standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

Dean stood and stepped back as John moved up beside his youngest son and kneeled down. He cupped the nape of Sam's neck and squeezed gently. "I don't want you worrying about this anymore. I don't want you making yourself sick anymore. Dean and I are never going to take unnecessary chances…not when it could mean that we could leave you alone," he vowed, a smile curling his lips when Sam lifted his eyes and seemed to stare directly into his soul.

"You promise?" Sam asked, voice hoarse with emotion.

"I promise you, son," John answered. "We'll never leave you alone."

Sam smiled as he continued to stare sightlessly at his father. "Okay," he whispered.

John pulled his son close and rested his forehead against Sam's. "Okay," he whispered in reply. "Now, how about we eat?" he asked as he stood and glanced at Dean.

"Oh crap!" Dean spat before turning abruptly and rushing to the stove. He turned around and frowned. "Uh…I think maybe I owe you a new pot, Jim," he said as he pulled the spoon up and the pot came with it.

The men began to laugh and before too long, Sam was laughing right along with them, the sound music to the older hunter's ears. They knew that things were far from being better, but they'd take anything they could get whenever they could get it.

TBC

**That's all for now. I'll be working on the next chapter of the new three brothers story next so that should be posted this week (fingers crossed). Please remember...reviews are love. :)**

**Cindy**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! How's it going? So, I have the next chapter ready for you all. Thanks for all of the reviews...you know how much I love to hear from you all! So, I won't make you wait any longer. Here goes.**

**Cindy**

_**Three Years Blind**_

Sam sat crossed legged on the bed and listened to the sound of Dean as the young hunter paced the floor of the small motel room. John sat silently at the small table in the corner of the room, his dark eyes staring somberly at the floor between his booted feet. Sam had made a request that neither of the two elder Winchesters had ever thought they would hear and while John had clammed up, Dean had nearly lost it. He'd stomped through the door of the motel room, the door slamming loudly behind him. He'd been gone for over two hours before he'd finally walked back through the door. Sam had been on the bed, chin dropped down forlornly to his chest, but had lifted his head and turned his face in the direction of the door when Dean had walked in. Dean hadn't said a word. He'd thrown his jacket across the end of the bed and began to pace and that's where they were at the present.

"Dean," Sam called softly.

"No, Sam. I don't want to talk about this yet," Dean snapped as he stopped pacing and glared over at his brother.

"But, Dean…this will be good for all of us," Sam cried.

"How could this possibly be good for me?" Dean asked angrily as he spun and glared down at his brother. "How could you going off to some school for the blind be good for me?"

"You wouldn't have to worry over me all the time and…"

"And what, Sam!" Dean shouted. "You don't like being with Dad and me anymore? Is that it?"

"What? No, Dean! Of course not! I just…I…"

"What, Sam? Why else would you want to go to this damn school? You've already taught yourself Braille. You've managed to keep ahead of the pace with your schoolwork all on your own. Why do you need to go off to school somewhere?" Dean interrupted desperately.

"Because, Dean. You know that you and Dad have been going on more and more hunts that I can't be involved in. I've been at Pastor Jim's or Bobby's more than I've been with you guys lately and…"

"And this is how you're going to punish us? By leaving us! God…you're one selfish little bastard, Sammy!" Dean shouted furiously.

"Dean! That's enough!" John's voice snapped as the man finally became involved in the conversation. He stood and walked over to his son and grabbed his arm, forcing Dean to look up at him.

"Dad…he wants to leave us! I'm sure Jim had something to do with this! I mean, the school is in Blue Earth! He wants Sam to be with him! He wants to take him away from us!" Dean cried.

"Dean…no…"

"Shut up, Sam! You don't get to speak!" Dean yelled.

"Dean…stop it right now! Jim wouldn't do that and you know it," John snapped. "And your brother wouldn't just up and decide to go to this school if he didn't have a good reason," he added.

Dean looked at his dad then shifted his gaze to his brother. He was literally shaking as he watched Sam scoot to the edge of the bed and swing his legs over the edge. The teen sat on the edge of the bed, his large dewy eyes glistening as he stared sightlessly toward his family. "Dean," he whispered softly. "I'm the one who asked Pastor Jim about it. I asked him to look into it for me."

Dean drew in a deep breath before slowing letting it ghost out over his lips. He had to calm himself before he did something he would regret. The last thing he wanted to do was to hurt Sam. "Why, Sam? Why do you want to do this? We're a family…we belong together," he asked, the young man forcing his voice to remain calm even though he was anything but inside.

Sam sighed and pushed to his feet. He carefully walked toward his brother's voice then stopped a few feet away. "This school? It will help me prepare for college, Dean. They help kids who are blind get all of the credits they need and it prepares them for the tests and essays and everything else. They help with the applications, the entrance exams…everything," Sam explained.

"College? How long have you been thinking about college, Sam?" John asked.

"Why would you be thinking about college?" Dean added.

"What…you don't think I could get into college? Why…because I'm blind? I'm not stupid, Dean…I just can't see," Sam cried softly, his voice filled with hurt.

"That's not what I meant, Sam. I know how smart you are. It's scary how smart you are. It's just…I don't understand why you want to go," Dean explained.

"Dean…think about it. If I go on hunts with you and Dad, I either sit in the car or the motel room. I help with research, but that's about it. Half of the time, I'm at Jim's or Bobby's. Would you be able to do that for the rest of your life?" Sam asked.

Dean slowly shook his head then glanced over at his father before turning back to Sam. "You've gone into hunts with us, Sammy, and you've done really good. You…"

"Not so much anymore though. The hunts have been more dangerous lately and they're just getting worse. You and Dad aren't going to let me near them anymore, Dean. I heard you guys talking. I'm here for research and sometimes bait, but that's it. I can't…this can't be my life anymore. I can't just be the researcher…I just can't, Dean."

"But you're not just the researcher…or bait, Sammy. You're my little brother. Isn't that enough?" Dean asked.

"I'll always be your little brother, and no, it's not enough. Dean…you never answered me. If you were in my place, would you be able to do it for the rest of your life? Be honest, Dean," Sam asked softly.

Dean dropped his eyes and brushed his hand through his hair. He looked up and sighed. "No…no, I wouldn't be able to do it," he answered.

Sam stepped forward, one hand reaching out until it found Dean's arm. "Then why do you expect me to do it?" he asked.

"Sammy…"

"I have to do this, Dean. Can't you see that I have to do this?"

Dean shut his eyes and squeezed the bridge of his nose between two fingers. He opened his eyes and looked over at this father who had stood silently as his boys talked. "Dad?" he asked, his green eyes staring pleadingly into John's.

John shifted his gaze from his oldest son to his youngest then he stepped forward and rested his hands on Sam's shoulders. "Tell me about this school, Sam," he said.

"Dad! What are you doing?" Dean cried.

John looked over his shoulder and pursed his lips. "Sam's right, Dean. As much as I hate the idea of him not being with us, I think he…"

"You're going to let him go? You're going to just let him walk out of our lives?"

"I'm not walking out of your life, Dean…I'm going to school and hopefully I'll be able to get into a good college…maybe even on a scholarship. Mr. Franklin said I could…he said I have a good chance of getting a scholarship," Sam cried.

"A scholarship for what, Sam?"

"Dean…" John started.

"No, Dad…I want to know what he plans to do with a scholarship," Dean snapped.

"I don't know, Dean. Maybe I'll be a teacher…or a lawyer," Sam answered as tears began to pool in his eyes.

"You want to leave us and you don't even know what you want to be? That doesn't make sense, Sam!"

Sam dropped his head then turned and slowly made his way to his bed. He sat down and rested his elbows on his knees. "I thought you'd be the one to understand, Dean. I thought you'd be the one to have faith in me. I guess I was wrong," he said softly before pulling himself up onto the bed and lying down. He rolled onto his side, his back to his family and wrapped his arms around his torso.

Dean stepped up to the bed and looked down at his brother. He leaned over and touched Sam's arm, but pulled back when Sam jerked his arm away. "Sammy, please," he called softly.

"You may as well call Pastor Jim and tell him I won't be going. He can call Mr. Franklin. It was a long shot anyway," Sam said as he pulled the sheet up over him and rolled further away from his brother.

Dean opened his mouth to speak, but a firm hand on his shoulder stopped him. He looked up into his father's dark eyes then he stood up when John shook his head. "I gotta get some air. Don't wait up for me," he said before he crossed over to the door and stepped out into the cool night.

John sighed then moved over to sit on the edge of Sam's bed. "Sam…do you want to tell me about the school?"

Sam shook his head then reached up to wipe the wetness from his cheek. "Doesn't matter…I'm not going," he whispered.

"Sam, we need to talk about this," John said.

"Why, Dad? Dean doesn't want me to go so I'm not going. He doesn't think I can make it in school…doesn't think I'm good for anything other than being his brother and hell…I'm not even all that great at that," Sam cried in reply.

"That's not true, Sammy. Dean's just scared and you know how he gets when he's scared…especially when it concerns you. He lashes out…gets unreasonable," John countered.

"Dad…I'm tired. I don't want to talk about this anymore. I just want to sleep," Sam said.

"You haven't had dinner yet, kiddo. You need to eat something."

"I'm not hungry."

"Sammy…"

"I'm not hungry, Dad. I'm not gonna blow away if I miss one meal. Can I just sleep? Please?"

John patted Sam's hip then stood up. He reached down and switched the bedside lamp off then sat down on the other bed. He pulled his boots off then swung his legs up onto the bed. "Goodnight, Sam," he said as he picked up the remote and switched the television on. He turned the sound down and watched the images on the screen and wondered how he was going to deal with this latest drama.

**sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn**

Dean stumbled in around three in the morning reeking of alcohol and cigarette smoke. He dropped into one of the chairs at the small table then leaned back and stretched out his legs.

"Where've you been, Dean," John's low, angry voice asked from the darkness of the room.

"D-Dad…I was jus' here 'n there…"

"You're drunk," John stated evenly.

"'m a lil bit tipshy, but 'm not drunk," Dean slurred.

"I can smell you from across the room. Get your ass in the shower, brush your teeth then get into bed. We'll talk when you're not acting so stupid," John commanded angrily.

"Dad…I jus' wanna sleep. I can…"

"You're not getting into my bed smelling like a brewery, Dean. Shower…now!" John spat.

"Fine, but why 'm I gettin' in your bed? I sleep with Sam."

"Not tonight you don't."

"Dad…'m sorry 'bout earlier. I was jus' upset."

"I'm not who you owe the apology to. Now get in the shower so we can all get some sleep."

Dean stood and made his way to the bathroom as best he could in the limited light. The only light source was the soft glow from the television, but the young man still took a moment to stop and glance over at the bed furthest from the door. All he could see of Sam was the shaggy hair on the top of his head. Guilt filled his heart at how he'd treated his brother and he dropped his eyes in shame.

"Dean…shower," John said, his dark eyes glancing up at his eldest son, his face bathed in the eerie bluish glow coming from the television.

"How're we supposed to watch over him if he's not with us, Dad?" Dean asked softly, the young man feeling anything but drunk all of the sudden.

"We'll talk about this later, Dean. After we sleep," John said.

Dean nodded then stepped into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. John slipped under the covers of his bed on the side nearest Sam's bed and closed his eyes. And in the other bed, the youngest member of the Winchester family lay silently listening to his father and brother, his sightless eyes glistening with unshed tears.

**sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn**

Dean groaned as he rolled over and slowly opened his grit filled eyes. He peeled his tongue from the roof of his mouth and grimaced. "Blech," he grumbled before throwing the covers off of himself and gingerly swinging his legs over the edge of the mattress. He sat up, his green eyes immediately seeking out his brother in the other bed. His heart skipped a beat when he saw that the bed was empty. He jerked his head around, ignoring the pounding in his head and the dizziness that washed over him. He scrambled to his feet and lunged for the bathroom door when he heard the sound of the shower running. He pulled the door open and stuck his head inside.

"Sam?" Dean called through the steam filled room.

"He went for a walk," John's voice called back.

"What! He went for a walk? By himself? And you let him?" Dean cried.

The shower curtain was pulled open slightly and John stuck his head out. "He's fine, Dean. He knows to stay close by," he said before disappearing behind the shower curtain again.

"Dad, you know Sammy is a trouble magnet! How could you let him go out by himself?" Dean snapped.

Just then, the door to the motel room opened and Dean spun around to see Sam slip into the room, a paper bag clutched in one hand, his cane in the other. He stepped to the table and set the bag down.

"Sam?" Dean said as he stepped toward his brother.

Sam jumped at Dean's voice and spun around. "D-Dean? Uh…hi…I…" he stammered.

Dean reached out and took Sam's arm then guided him down into a chair at the table. "What's in the bag?" he asked as he took the other chair.

Sam felt across the table until his fingers brushed the bag. He pushed it toward Dean and smiled sheepishly. "I got donuts at the bakery down the street," he answered softly.

"You went all the way down to the end of the street?" Dean asked calmly, the young man thankful that Sam couldn't see the way his hands shook when he reached for the bag.

"Um…yeah. It's not that far, Dean and there's no street to cross so…"

"You're not six years old anymore, Sam," Dean interrupted.

"No…I'm just blind and useless," Sam snapped before pressing his lips together and dropping his head. "I…I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"

"It's okay, Sam…I deserved that I guess…after last night. I…I'm the one who should be apologizing to you," Dean said.

Sam lifted his face up and cocked his head. "You…really?" he whispered.

Dean drew in a deep breath then slowly let it out as he gathered his thoughts. He opened the paper bag and pulled out a glazed donut then set it down on a napkin on the table. "I was a jackass to you, Sammy and I'm…I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to make it sound like I didn't think you could cut it at school. I just…I…"

"You're worried about me. You don't think I can take care of myself…"

"No…well, yes. I'm worried about you, but…l know you can take care of yourself, Sam. I just…I want to be the one to take care of you okay. It's the most important thing in the world to me. More important than hunting…more important than finding Mom's killer. I've been taking care of you my whole life…I don't know how not to take care of you," Dean said as he dropped his eyes.

"You don't have to, Dean," Sam said softly. "I'll always need you to take care of me, no matter what. Even when I'm taller than you, I'll still need you. Besides, I'm not going to the school so you don't have to worry about it anyway," he added.

"Okay…first of all, you're never going to be taller than me, squirt and second, why aren't you going to the school?" Dean queried.

"I am going to be taller than you, Dean so get used to it and…and I'm not going because you don't want me to," Sam answered.

"Sammy…no. You can't not go because of me. I was being selfish. If you want to go, you have to go," Dean said.

"I can't…not now. I love you, Dean and I can't…"

"No, Sam. You're going to that school."

"But, Dean…"

"I lied to you, Sam. There is one thing that's more important to me than taking care of you," Dean interrupted.

Sam swallowed as he wrapped his arms around himself. "What's that?" he asked meekly.

"Seeing you happy," Dean answered. "I want you to be happy and if that means letting you go to this school, and then to college, then so be it," he continued.

"I'm happy, Dean. I'm with you and Dad and I love you both so much," Sam said.

"But it's not enough and I get that. I want you to be happy and I saw the way your face lit up when you were telling us about the school."

"Are you sure, Dean? Are you really okay with me not being with you?"

"I'm not going to lie. It's going to kill me at first, but…but I know that Pastor Jim will watch out for you and I know you'll be in heaven with all the book learnin' and stuff," Dean answered as he stood and walked to the end of his bed. He retrieved his jeans from the floor where he'd tossed them after his shower and pulled something from the pocket then went back to the table. "Here, Sam…this is for you," he said as he placed the surprise in Sam's hand.

"What is it?" Sam asked as he closed his fingers around the round bundle in his hand.

"It's five hundred dollars. You're going to need money at school aren't you?" Dean answered.

"Five hundred dollars? I can't take this, Dean. Where did you get it anyway?"

"Uh…a little bit of pool, a few hands of poker…you know, the usual."

"Dean, I thought I told you not to hustle unless you had someone watching your back," John said as he stepped up to the table.

"Dad," Dean said as he looked up at his father. "How long you been out of the shower?"

"A while now so I guess we better get the car packed up," John answered as he pulled a donut from the bag on the table.

"What? Why?" Dean asked.

"So we can get Sam back to Blue Earth," John answered with a smile.

**sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn**

"Jim, you have to let me give you some money toward Sam's tuition," John insisted as he stood before his long time friend.

"John, I already told you I have it covered. Phil Turner owes me for some 'work' I did for him. He's only taking one hundred a month for food during the week," Jim said.

"Are you sure? Sam's going to be staying with you on weekends. You shouldn't have to pay his way…"

"John, Sam is a joy to have around. He helps me around the house. He more than pays his way, I assure you," Jim interrupted.

"Thanks, Jim," John said as he turned and watched his sons as Dean helped Sam put his things away in the dresser that was assigned to him. John heaved a heavy sigh and dropped his eyes to the floor. He looked up when Jim grasped his arm, the older man smiling warmly as John met his kindly gaze.

"Don't worry, John. I'll be watching over Sam and so will Phil. He's in good hands," Jim said.

"I know, it's just hard leaving him. I mean, I know I leave him with you a lot, but I also know I'm always coming back so…"

"John, it's not like you're never coming back. I have a feeling I'm going to be seeing a lot of you and Dean over this next year and you know you're both welcome any time you want to come."

"Yeah…you're right there. You may regret your open invitation, Jim," John said with a chuckle.

"Maybe, but I doubt it. I'll have more hands to help out when you and Dean come around and don't think I won't put you to work," Jim said.

John smiled then strolled over to his sons. Jim shook his head and turned the opposite direction and left the three hunters to say their goodbyes.

"So, do you two have things under control or do you need help with anything?" John asked as he stepped up to his sons as Dean pushed the last drawer shut.

"I think we got it covered, Dad," Dean answered.

"That's good," John said. He turned to Sam and cupped the nape of his neck then pulled him in for a strong embrace. "You take care of yourself, kiddo," he whispered softly into Sam's ear.

"I will, Dad…don't worry," Sam replied as he pulled out of the embrace and smiled up at his father.

Dean took Sam's arm and turned him around. "Okay, Sammy…I guess it's that time. Are you sure you have everything you need? You have enough toothpaste, deodorant…rubbers?"

"Dean! Geez…I'm not gonna hook up here!" Sam cried indignantly.

"Take a chill pill, Sammy…I was just kidding. I know the only reason you're here is to get your geek on and we all know that getting your geek on does not include swappin' slobber or any of that icky girl touching stuff. Don't want you getting girl cooties or anything like that," Dean teased as he ruffled Sam's hair.

"You're such a jerk you know that, Dean?" Sam said.

"Yeah…I know," Dean said proudly.

"You're hopeless," Sam whispered under his breath.

Dean nodded in agreement then rested his hand on Sam's shoulder. "Sammy…uh…we have to go. You make sure you call us if you need anything, got it. And we'll call in a few days. Remember…"

"Dean, I got it. I'll be fine," Sam said.

"Um…okay then. I guess we'll be getting going. Bye, Sammy," Dean said as he slowly pulled his hand away from Sam's shoulder.

"Bye, Dean," Sam whispered before suddenly launching himself at his brother. Dean wrapped his arms around Sam and hugged him close to his body.

"Uh…Dean, we really need to hit the road. Bobby's expecting us to meet him by tomorrow afternoon," John said.

Sam and Dean reluctantly pulled away from each other. "Okay…bye, Sam," Dean said.

"Bye, Dean…bye, Dad," Sam called softly.

John and Dean turned and slowly walked out of the dorm room that Sam would be sharing with five other boys. Dean took one last glance over his shoulder and it took all of his willpower to not run back and drag his little brother out of that room. It didn't seem right to leave his brother there, but if it made Sam happy then he would just have to suck it up, no matter how much it tore him up inside.

**Awww, poor Dean. So, let me know what you think. Love you all.**

**Cindy**


	4. Chapter 4

**Well, I've had some drama, some sadness and a little bit of just about everything these past few weeks. Lets just say, RL has been a bitch lately and leave it at that! I truly had the best intentions of getting this chapter ready and posted a lot sooner, but things happen and my mind was on those things for a bit. It's quite a bit longer than normal, but I promised a certain someone that a certain new OC would be introduced and I had to get that in here. So, without any more yakety yak from me...on with the story.**

**Cindy**

Sam lifted his face and sighed as the warmth of the mid-day sun washed over him. He and his classmates were on a field trip of all things. A nature hike of sorts, though it was only through the small park near his school. The intent was to feel all that nature had to offer…to breathe in the scents that one wouldn't probably notice if they had sight. Sam wondered how this was going to help him get into college, but he was enjoying getting out into the fresh air none-the-less. The hours spent in the classroom were tedious at times so this was a welcome respite. He was thankful for being at the school, thankful for the knowledge he was acquiring, but in all honesty, he missed being on the road with his family. Well, maybe he didn't miss the road, but he did miss his family and many times he wondered if he'd made the right decision. He hadn't talked to his family much since he'd come to the school and the separation was beginning to wear on him more than he'd expected it would. Maybe they were right. Maybe he couldn't make it without him. Though they had never come out and said that he couldn't, the tone of their voices didn't leave him with much hope that they had too much confidence in his ability to take care of himself.

"All right, kids…it's time to head back to school!" Mr. Franklin, Sam's teacher, called, snapping the teen from his thoughts.

A collective groan rose up around Sam and he grinned as he turned toward the teacher's voice. It seemed he wasn't the only one who was happy to be out of the classroom. He and his fellow classmates moved toward Mr. Franklin and waited for him to give the word that they were all there and ready to move. Once Mr. Franklin took a count of the teens, he gave the word that it was time to move.

"Okay, everybody's present and accounted for…let's roll. Keep together," Mr. Franklin said as he began to walk back towards the school.

The group of seven students and one teacher slowly walked down the sidewalk, the park giving way to small shops, groceries and eateries. They walked a few blocks before Mr. Franklin suddenly stopped the group. "Hey, kids…I'm going to duck into the bookstore and see if the book I ordered on the civil rights movement has come in. James, you're in charge while I'm inside. Nobody wander off…I'll be out in a few minutes," he said before ducking into the shop.

"Uh, okay…everyone just…what…hey!" James exclaimed, his tone instantly raising Sam's hackles.

"So…what do we have here?" an unfamiliar voice asked sarcastically. "Look, Aaron, it's the wall bumpers!"

"Let me go!" James cried out.

"Oh no, is blind boy gonna cry?"

Sam moved toward the voice and pushed between his classmate and the bully. "Leave him alone," he said evenly.

"Or what? You gonna do something about it?" the bully sneered.

"Just grow up and leave us alone," Sam answered.

The bully grabbed Sam by the front of his jacket and yanked him forward. "Don't tell me what to do, wall bumper!" he hissed hatefully.

Sam brought his arms up between the bully's arms and broke free from his grasp. He gave the bully a shove, completely surprising the older teen and his friend. "You think you're tough don't you? Picking on people you don't think can fight back. You know what my dad calls people like you? Cowards, that's what!" Sam spat.

"You little son of a bitch!" the bully shouted as he suddenly slammed his fist into the side of Sam's head.

Sam flew back against his classmates, eliciting screams from the girls and surprised shouts from the boys. He dropped to his knees, his head spinning and ears ringing. He gasped as his hair was grabbed and he was yanked to his feet. He swung his fist upwards towards the sound of the bully's heavy breathing and smiled inwardly when he connected, the bully's surprised cry as he stumbled back letting Sam know exactly where he ended up. Sam jerked his head around as another sound reached his ears. He ducked down just as the bully's friend launched himself at him, but was unable to completely deflect the attack. With his classmates cries of surprise in the backround, the other bully jumped on top of Sam and landed two punches to the prone teen's face before Sam was able to throw him off and land a few shots of his own. The bully threw himself forward, crushing Sam to the sidewalk. Suddenly, Mr. Franklin's voice cried out and the weight of the second bully was suddenly gone and Sam was grabbed and pulled back to his feet. He stumbled back and was surprised when several pair of hands guided him to a wooden bench that sat in front of the bookstore.

"You two little sons of bitches had better get your asses out of here before I call the police!" Mr. Franklin shouted and Sam had to chuckle at the normally soft spoken teacher's raised voice and cursing.

Sam heard the sound of two sets of footsteps running away then pulled back and hissed when someone pressed lightly over the burgeoning bruise on his right cheek. "You okay, Sam? What the heck happened out here?" Mr. Franklin asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, Mr. Franklin," Sam answered softly.

"You don't look fine, Sam. You've got a heck of a bruise here and a knot on the side of your head. Do you think you can walk back to the school or should I call for a car?"

"I can walk just fine. Let's just go," Sam answered.

"Are you sure, Sam? That sounded pretty crazy," one of Sam's girl classmates asked worriedly.

"I'm sure…I've had worse," Sam replied.

"But, Sam…"

"Okay everyone…just…I have this covered. I know you're worried about him, but Sam's gonna be fine. Just a few bumps and bruises is all," Mr. Franklin said as he helped Sam to his feet. "Now, let's get moving."

"Sam, it sounded like you beat those guys up too…how did you do that?" another one of the students asked.

"I don't know…I just listened to their movements and breathing I guess. My dad and brother taught me how to take care of myself before I went blind so I guess that helped too," Sam answered.

"Enough questions for now, kids. I need to get Sam back so I can take a closer look at him. You'll have time to grill him later," Mr. Franklin said.

The students grumbled but fell in line and followed quietly behind their teacher. Mr. Franklin held firm to Sam's arm, the teacher concerned about how unsteady Sam was on his feet. His first priority was to get Sam back to the school so the nurse could check him over and the next was to call the police and report the two bullies who had hurt his student. Sam was his responsibility during the week when he was staying at the school and he had been hurt on his watch. The teacher did not look forward to telling Jim about what happened as he knew he'd be in hot water. What made him even more afraid was having to face Sam's father and brother. The day they'd come to the school to meet him, he felt nothing but intimidated and now they would have to be told that the loved one they trusted with him had been hurt. He didn't think it would matter that it was just a few bruises and such, they would be chomping at the bit to make someone pay and he was terrified that it would be him. Mr. Franklin shook his head and sighed. It was his fault that Sam had gotten hurt. He should have waited until he'd gotten the students back to the school and then returned to check on his book. If the Winchesters felt he needed punishment, then so be it.

It took a half an hour, but the group of students and their teacher finally reached the school. All of the students except Sam were instructed to go to their classroom and work on their essays while Mr. Franklin took Sam to the school nurse and called Pastor Jim. The phone call went just like the teacher had expected and ended with the pastor promising to be there in twenty minutes to pick up his young charge. Mr. Franklin sighed as he hung up the phone then he stepped back into the nurse's office. Jackie, the resident nurse was just finishing up placing a bandage over a small cut on Sam's cheek. She smiled up at the teacher then stepped back from the chair Sam was sitting on.

"He'll be fine. Doesn't appear to be any concussion," Jackie said.

"Thanks, Jackie. He'll just be staying here until his guardian shows up to take him home," Mr. Franklin said.

Sam jerked his head up and stared in the teacher's direction. "No! I don't need to go to Pastor Jims! I'll miss two days…"

"Sam, you're not going to miss anything. You're already ahead of the rest of the students…two days isn't going to make a difference at all," Mr. Franklin said as he reached forward and patted Sam's shoulder.

"But I'm fine…I don't need to go back…"

"You'll be back to school on Monday, Sam…just like every other week. You got quite a knock on the head if the lump is any indication. Just rest up for the next four days and we'll hit your essay again when you come back," Mr. Franklin said.

Sam dropped his head and sighed. "Fine…not like I have a choice I guess," he mumbled.

Mr. Franklin chuckled as he gave Sam's shoulder a squeeze. "Hey, I'm the one who's going to be feeling the heat when your father and brother find out what happened…"

"Oh God…they're going to be here this weekend! They're going to see and then they're going to pull me out of the school!" Sam cried as he pushed to his feet, only to drop back down as dizziness washed over him.

"Sam, don't stand up so quickly. You may not have a concussion, buy you still got a good knock to your head," Jackie said as she stepped forward and looked into Sam's eyes.

"Mr. Franklin…I can't leave…I just can't! If I do, I'll never get into college. My dad and brother are going to flip! Couldn't I just stay here for the weekend? We could come up with a story on why I can't see them," Sam pleaded.

"Your father isn't going to pull you out of the school because of this, Sam. He knows how much this means to you," Mr. Franklin said.

"You don't know my dad…or my brother," Sam whispered miserably.

"Sam…I'll talk to them. You're getting yourself worked up over nothing. Now how about we go get your weekend bag packed so you'll be ready when Jim gets here," Mr. Franklin said.

Sam let out a breathy sigh then slowly stood with the help of the nurse. He walked out ahead of his teacher, shaking off the man's hand when he tried to help him. "I can do it on my own, Mr. Franklin," he said before quickly made his way to the room he shared with James. He packed his bag then headed back to the nurse's office to wait for Pastor Jim. He didn't have to long of a wait before the pastor rushed into the room and immediately began to check Sam over.

"I'm fine, Pastor Jim. I don't know why Mr. Franklin even called you," Sam said.

"Because he has to, Sam. When one of his students falls ill or is hurt, he has to contact their guardian," Jim explained with an affectionate smile.

"But Dad and Dean are going to find out and pull me out of the school," Sam cried softly.

"Well, you can't keep them from finding out, but I really don't think you have anything to worry about. From what I hear, you did a good job of taking care of yourself and your friends. Your father and brother will be proud of you," Jim said as he reached for Sam's bag and hefted it over his shoulder. "Now, let's get you home so you can rest."

"I don't know why everyone is treating me like I just got hit by a car or something! I'm fine!"

"Just humor an old man okay?"

"Fine," Sam said as he stood and followed along behind Pastor Jim.

Jim shook his head and grinned. Sam was just as stubborn, if not more so, then his father. The two walked to Jim's car in silence and once Sam was buckled into the passenger seat, Jim climbed in behind the steering wheel and started his car. They drove to Jim's church, the two talking very little in the twenty minutes it took to make the trip. Once Jim had pulled up outside his small home, Sam climbed out of the car and shuffled up the stairs and into the house. Jim sighed as he watched Sam disappear through the door then he reached into the backseat and pulled out Sam's bag. When he got up to Sam's room, he found the teen lying on his bed, blank eyes staring up at the ceiling. Jim set Sam's bag down at the end of the bed then headed for the door.

"Why don't you get some sleep, Sam. It looks like you could use some. I'll come fetch you when dinner is ready," Jim said.

"Yeah…okay," Sam said softly before rolling onto his side, his back to the door.

"Everything is going to be okay, Sam. You'll see," Jim said, the old man sighing when Sam remained silent. He walked out of the room and softly shut the door behind him.

_**sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn**_

Pastor Jim closed the oven door and was just pulling the fixings for salad from the refrigerator when he heard the unmistakable rumble of the Impala just outside his back door. He looked through the window and smiled as Dean slowly dragged himself out of the car and headed for the trunk. Dean had just slammed the trunk shut and slung his duffel over his shoulder when John's truck pulled in behind him. Jim went to the back door and held it open for the two dirty, tired hunters. Once they were inside, Jim shut the door and immediately set about making a pot of coffee.

"I thought you two wouldn't be here until Friday morning," Jim said as he pulled two mugs from the cupboard and placed them on the counter.

"We finished up the hunt early so we decided to just hit the road. I want to surprise Sammy at school tomorrow," Dean said as he plopped down in a chair at the table and smiled appreciatively when a mug of hot, steaming coffee was placed in front of him.

"Well, the surprise is on you I'd say," Pastor Jim said as he handed the second mug to John.

"What do you mean, Jim?" John asked as he took the chair across from Dean.

"Sam's upstairs sleeping. I had to get him from school today," Jim answered.

"What? Why? Is he sick?" Dean asked worriedly as he pushed back from the table.

"Drink your coffee, Dean. Sam is fine. He just ran into a couple of bullies when his class was on a field trip," Jim explained as he began to mix the salad for dinner.

John and Dean looked up at the pastor and waited until finally, Dean couldn't wait any longer for further explanation. "Jim…what happened? Is Sammy okay?" he blurted impatiently.

Jim turned around and shook his head. "Well, it seems the local bullies were picking on one of Sam's classmates so Sam stepped in. He took a few punches, but he dealt some too," Jim said.

"Where was his teacher when this was going on?" John asked calmly, though Jim could tell by the look in his eyes that the man was fuming on the inside.

"Calm down, John. He had just ducked into the bookstore to pick up a textbook he had ordered. The kids were just outside the door," Jim explained.

"Oh, that's just great! Since when should a teacher leave a group of blind kids alone and at the mercy of bullies while he does his shopping?" Dean snapped as he pushed to his feet.

"Dean…"

"No, Jim! He was responsible for Sam's safety and he screwed up!" Dean hissed as he turned toward the doorway to the hall.

"Dean…sit down and drink your coffee," John said before brushing a hand through his disheveled hair.

"I'm just going to go check on Sammy," Dean said in response. He turned as soon as John nodded and hurried down the hall and up the stairs. He opened the door to Sam's room and quietly slipped inside. Sam was lying on his side, knees slightly bent, back to the door. Dean went around the side of the bed so he could see Sam's face and immediately his blood began to boil when he saw the bruises and scrapes. He crouched down beside the bed and tenderly fingered the split in Sam's lip. Sam flinched away from the touch and slowly opened his eyes.

"Hey, kiddo. You gotta stop getting into fights with the locals…you're gonna get a bad reputation," Dean said as he moved from his crouch to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Dean? What're you doing here?" Sam asked, voice husky from sleep.

"What…you want me to go?" Dean asked.

"No! I just…you weren't suppose to be here until Friday," Sam cried softly as he reached for Dean's arm.

Dean chuckled and shook his head. "Cool your jets there little brother. We finished the hunt early and Dad didn't want to pay for another night at a motel," he said before reaching forward and touching the bruise on Sam's cheek.

Sam sat up and leaned back against the headboard. "Dean…I'm fine. Please don't make a big deal about this," he whispered.

"So, you just want me to ignore the bruises on your face? The cut on your lip? Sorry, no can do," Dean said.

"Dean, I really want to stay at this school. Please don't let Dad pull me out because of this," Sam said pleadingly.

"What? Why would we pull you out? I want to kick some bully ass, Sammy…that's all."

Sam sighed and shook his head. "Dean, please just leave it alone. Believe it or not, I handled it," Sam said.

"I know you did…you stuck up for your friend and that's great, but those little dicks touched you…they have to pay," Dean replied.

"Dean, I think they learned their lesson. I don't think they'll be bothering us anymore."

"Or, more likely, they'll be gunning for you, Sam…especially if anyone saw what happened and it gets back to all of their friends. I can't take the chance that next time they'll show up with more of their little hoodlum friends."

"You don't even know who they are. Neither do I and Pastor Jim isn't going to tell you so just forget about it. Please, Dean, just promise me you won't do anything."

"Sammy…"

"Please, Dean…I'm begging you here…don't go after them."

Dean sighed as he glanced at Sam. "Sammy, I can't promise you that. I just can't. You're my little brother and they hurt you. They need to be taught a lesson."

Sam shook his head and dropped his chin to his chest. He should have figured that Dean would not leave what happened to him unpunished. He felt a pang of pity for the two bullies. He knew that Dean would find them…how, he had no idea, but they would be found and they would be hurting. He felt Dean grab his arm and he lifted his face up questioningly.

"Jim almost has dinner ready. We should get down there. Dad's waiting to see you," Dean said.

"Dad's gonna flip, Dean."

"Maybe not. Jim's probably already got him talked down. He'll be pissed, but he'll be okay. Let's go."

Sam allowed his brother to help him up from the bed, but drew the line at Dean holding his arm to guide him. He knew his way quite well now and didn't need help finding his way. Dean followed behind, ever watchful, but keeping a short distance to give his brother the space and independence he craved. Once they reached the kitchen, Sam felt his way down into a chair and waited for his father to blow. When that didn't happen he fidgeted nervously in his chair. When his father finally spoke, Sam jumped in surprise.

"So, Sammy…it's good to see you. You've looked better."

"Uh…yeah, I guess I must look pretty crappy, huh? Look, Dad, I know you're pissed, but…"

"I'm proud of you, son. You stood up for your friend and from what Jim's told me, you held your own against those two bullies. Just try to keep out of trouble the next time you go on a nature hike," John said, surprising both of his sons.

"So, you're not mad?" Sam asked quietly.

"Oh, I'm pissed as hell, but you handled it, Sam. You did good."

Sam smiled softly and leaned back in his chair. "Thanks, Dad," he said.

John reached across the table and gave Sam's arm a gentle squeeze before glancing over at Dean. "Dean, why don't you help Jim get the food on the table. I'll get the plates and silverware," he said.

"I can help, Dad," Sam said as he pushed back from the table.

"No, you just sit. Jim said you got a good smack to the head and I don't want you getting dizzy. We can handle it this time, kiddo."

Sam nodded and pulled his chair back toward the table. The meal was served and eaten, talk about the Winchesters recent hunt the talk of the day. Dean excused himself as soon as the dishes were put away, his explanation being he wanted to refill his wallet at the local watering hole, but Sam knew where he was going. He wasn't happy about it, but he knew wild horses wouldn't keep Dean from doing what he felt were his brotherly duties. John didn't say a word, even though Sam was pretty sure he too knew where Dean was going. It was the following week at school when Sam found out about how the two bullies had been found, beaten up, bound and blindfolded, both crying like babies as they tried to find their way out of an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town. In the months that followed, Sam nor any of the other students at the school were ever bothered by the bullies, or any other person for that matter. Sam graduated from the school, his father and brother, along with Jim, Bobby, Caleb and Joshua sitting proudly in the audience as he received his diploma. When his scholarship to Stanford University was announced, a few pairs of eyes in the audience were suspiciously wet, even though said owners of said eyes would adamantly deny that it was anything but dust in the air.

_**sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn**_

Sam sat serenely on a bench, the stress of the day easing away as the warm afternoon breeze ruffled his chocolate locks. It was his first day at Stanford, well, at least his first day alone at Stanford and as much as he hated to hear the rumble of the Impala disappear as Dean drove away from him, he was excited about the next chapter of his life beginning. He had worked hard for this day and he was going to savor it for as long as he could. He'd gotten his syllabus, then he'd gotten his Braille text books ordered. They'd be ready for when his classes began on Monday morning. He had the weekend to memorize the campus and the different routes to his classes. He held a paper in his hands, the acceptance letter to Stanford. Though he couldn't read it himself, he had it memorized from all of the times Dean had proudly read it aloud to him. He smiled at the excitement he'd heard in Dean's voice each and every time he'd read the letter. He knew Dean and his father were worried about leaving him where no one they knew lived, but he also knew how proud they were of his huge accomplishment.

Suddenly, a gust of wind ripped the paper from Sam's hand and he leapt to his feet, staggering forward and falling to his knees as he desperately tried to find the letter. "No…no!" he cried softly as his searching hands came up empty. He flinched when a few moments later, he felt a light pressure on his arm.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you," a soft, feminine voice said in a very distinctive accent.

"Oh, no, that's okay. I was trying to find my letter…the wind blew it away," Sam said as he rolled back onto his feet and stood.

"Here, I have your letter," the woman said as she took Sam's hand placed the letter in it.

"You found it? Thank you so much!" Sam exclaimed as he pulled the letter to his chest.

"It's no big deal. It blew right up at my feet, like I was meant to retrieve it for you," the woman said.

"Well, thank you so much. I'm Sam by the way," Sam said as he reached his hand out in front of him.

A small hand took his and gave it a soft shake before letting go. "It's good to meet you, Sam. My name is Ritu," the woman replied.

"That's a really pretty name. Where are you from, Ritu?" Sam asked.

"Calcutta. I'm here on a student visa. Where are you from?"

"Originally? I was born in Lawrence, Kansas, but my family moved from there when I was a small baby. We've moved around a lot since then," Sam answered.

"That sounds interesting. Um…would you like to get a coffee or something?" Ritu asked.

Sam smiled as he folded the letter up and tucked it into his pocket. "I'd love to get a coffee," he replied.

"Great. Here's your cane," Ritu said as she placed Sam's cane in his hand.

"Thanks," Sam said, the young man smiling when Ritu instinctively took his arm and guided him to the sidewalk. He'd been prepared for being alone at college, figuring nobody would want to hang out with a blind guy so the fact that he'd met someone on his first day, someone who seemed to not care one bit that he was blind, made the tension that he'd been walking around with ease away. Maybe he wouldn't be so alone afterall.

**That's it for now folks. We'll be seeing a lot more of Ritu so get used to her! :o) Please let me know what you thought. Now, I have to work on the next chapter of Separation Anxiety. Remind me how nuts it is to work on multiple stories at once. I seem to have forgotten how crazy things get from the last time I attempted this! Sheesh! Thanks for reading.**

**Cindy**


	5. Chapter 5

**Yep...been a long time. I'm never writing multiple stories again! This one...the three brothers one...a special project...never again! :D Thanks for the many reviews...you guys rock! But of course, you already know that! Now...onto the story.**

**Cindy**

Dean swiped a hand over his sweaty, dirt covered forehead and glanced over at his equally sweaty, dirty father. They both looked down at the mound of dirt between them then silently gathered up their shovels and bags and headed for John's truck. The spirit had not gone down easy, but both Winchesters had made it through the hunt virtually unscathed. Nobody else in the small town would be hurt again either. They reached John's truck, threw their gear and shovels in the back under the truck bed cover then climbed wearily into the cab. John started the engine and drove slowly out of the old cemetery. He glanced over at Dean and smiled. He knew what his son was thinking. He was thinking the same thing, but he decided to wait Dean out, to let the young man make the first move. He didn't have to wait long.

"So, Dad," Dean said as he turned and looked at his father.

"Yeah?" John answered with a twinkle in his eyes that thankfully the darkness of the night hid from Dean.

"I was thinking…now that we're done with the hunt and since we're so close to California that maybe…uh…maybe we could go check in on Sammy," Dean said hopefully.

John shook his head and put on a serious face before turning toward his son. "Dean, the kid's only been there a few weeks. We talk to him almost every day. Don't you think we should give him a bit more time to adjust before we swoop in and mix everything up?" John said evenly.

"But, Dad. We're so close. He sounded kinda lonely the last time we talked. I think he wanted to ask us to come see him, but didn't want to seem too needy or anything," Dean said with a non-chalant shrug.

"I don't know, Dean…I think we should wait a bit," John answered.

"Well, I mean…I don't care if we go or not really. I'm just thinking about Sammy."

"You really think that he sounded lonely?" John asked.

"I do, Dad…it's not like the blind school where everyone was blind so they all had that in common. Sammy is only one of just a few blind students going to Stanford," Dean answered evenly, feigning concern for his brother.

John smiled as he glanced over at this son. "Okay…we'll head to Palo Alto in the morning, but tonight, we eat then we sleep," he finally said.

Dean smiled and turned to happily look out his window. He watched the scenery go by, but the only thing on his mind was that he'd bet seeing his brother the next day.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Sam took a sip of coffee and frowned at the bitterness of the hot, black liquid. He blushed lightly when a soft giggle sounded from across the table. "Do you want some cream and sugar for that Sam?" Ritu asked as she reached for Sam's mug.

"Uh…yeah, this is a little too strong for me," Sam answered, cheeks glowing a soft pink.

"Here, I'll get it for you. How much sugar?"

"Two teaspoons is enough."

Ritu smiled as she stirred the sugar and cream into Sam's drink then slid the mug back over to Sam before taking his hand and wrapping it around the mug.

"Thanks," Sam said. He lifted the mug and took a sip and smiled appreciatively. "That's better now."

"Good," Ritu said in reply.

"So…let me see if I have this right. Baba is dad, Maa is mom, dada is big brother, didi is big sister and bon is little sister?" Sam asked before taking another sip of his coffee.

Ritu smiled as she looked up at her friend. "Yes…that's good, Sam," she said. "When is your meeting with Counselor Dillon?"

"Oh…um…tomorrow at 3. I told him I had my syllabus and that I got all of my books in Braille, but he just wants to make sure. I think he just wants to assess how I'm handling school here, like because I'm blind, I can't take the pressure as much or something," Sam answered with a shake of his head.

"Maybe, but I think he just wants to make sure that you're getting everything you need, Sam. You have to admit it's probably a little harder for you without your sight," Ritu pointed out in her soft, sweet voice.

"I've never had any problems with studying…before or after I was blind. I hate being singled out. I just want to be treated like all of the other students, Ritu," Sam said with a small huff.

"I know, but you aren't like all the other students…whether you like it or not. I'm not either, so don't feel alone. I've had to 'talk' to the counselor too," Ritu said.

"Yeah…I guess. I just hate it, you know?" Sam replied.

"Don't let it get to you…they'll see for themselves that you're doing fine, Sam."

"I know…I'm just being stupid. Don't listen to me," Sam said with a slight grin.

"You're not being stupid so stop. You just need to relax."

"You're right…sorry for being such a downer today."

"Hey…why don't we go back to your dorm. I can teach you some meditation techniques. They really help, Sam," Ritu suggested as she slid out of the booth and stood next to the table.

"Uh…yeah, I don't think so. I'm fine…really. If my brother ever caught wind that I was doing meditation, I'd never hear the end of it," Sam replied with a quick smile. He reached beside him and grabbed his cane the slid out of his seat and stood next to his friend.

Ritu smiled and shook her head then took Sam's arm. Together they walked out of the small diner and turned toward campus. They walked together in silence, both enjoying the warmth of the air around them. They finally reached the dorm buildings and worked they way through the courtyards until they came to Sam's building. They rounded the corner, but after taking only a few steps towards the doors, Ritu stopped and gently pulled back on Sam's arm. Sam frowned and turned his head in Ritu's direction.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked as he instinctively pushed Ritu back a step.

"Um…there's two guys outside the door and they're looking at you," Ritu answered. "Oh…they're heading this way, Sam…they look pretty scruffy," she added with slight alarm.

Sam smiled and let his body relax. "Is there one older one with dark hair and a younger with spiked hair and long leather coat?" he asked.

"Uh…yeah. You know them?" Ritu answered nervously.

"Yeah…I know them. That's my dad and brother," Sam answered.

"Sam! We've been looking for you!" Dean called as he and John finally reached their youngest family member. Dean's green eyes immediately went to Ritu and eyed her suspiciously.

"Oh…we were at the diner," Sam answered as he accepted quick hugs from his family.

"So…who's this?" John asked, his dark, intense stare causing Ritu to shrink back slightly.

"Oh…sorry…Dad, Dean…this is Ritu. She's here on a study visa," Sam said. "Ritu, this is my father, John and my brother, Dean," he added.

Ritu stepped forward and looked up at the two men staring back at her. She first turned to John then suddenly leaned forward and touched his leg. John flinched as his eyes widened at the unexpected touch. Next, she turned to Dean, placed her palms together. "Namasker," she said softly with a slight bow of her head.

"What the…" Dean started, but a tug at his coat sleeve stopped him from saying any more.

Ritu stepped back and blushed slightly. "Oh, I'm sorry…I forget that my customs aren't widely known here in America. The touch to your leg, Mr. Winchester is called 'pranam'. It is a sign of respect toward your elders. So is what I did for you, Dean…just for someone slightly older than myself. Uh…it's very nice to meet you both," she said as she reached out her small hand. Both John and Dean lightly shook her hand then stepped back.

"It's nice to meet you too, Ritu," John finally said. "How did you two meet?" he added.

"Uh…I met Ritu the first day on my own here. She's helped me a lot with finding my way around. She's in my classes so we study together too," Sam replied.

"Oh, well I guess we owe you a thank you then for taking care of our boy here," John said with a quick smile.

"Dad," Sam whined as he shook his head.

"What? I'm just saying it's nice to know that you've met somebody so quickly and that they're helping you, Sammy," John said.

"I know, Dad…sorry," Sam replied.

"So," Dean quipped as he stepped toward his brother, effectively placing himself between the teen and his friend. "What do you say we go get some pie!" he added with a smack of his lips.

Sam turned his head in Dean's direction and grinned with amusement. "Dean, we just came from the diner," he said.

"So? I didn't…and Dad and I saw a cafe on the way in that said it had the best pie in Palo Alto. I need me some pie, Sammy," Dean replied. "With icecream!"

Sam shook his head then turned toward where Ritu stood silently watching the two older Winchesters. She turned to look at Sam and smiled. "Sam, I need to get some stuff done and you need to catch your baba and dada up on what you've been doing these past weeks," she said.

"You don't want to come?" Sam asked, the slight disappointment in his voice not going unnoticed by his big brother.

"You and your family need some time to talk. You can call me later…I'll bring over some rice, dal and vegetables for you all for dinner…oh, and payas," Ritu answered before taking Sam's hand and giving it a gently squeeze. "See you later," she added, and then she was walking away, two sets of suspicious eyes following her until she turned the corner around the building and disappeared.

Dean cast his gaze back to Sam and cocked his head. "So, Sammy…moving kinda fast, aren't you?" he asked. "Oh, and what the hell are a baba and dada?"

"Dean…we're just friends. Get your mind out of the gutter," Sam huffed. "And baba is the Bengali word for father and dada is for older brother."

"Huh…why didn't she just call us your dad and brother? And fine…you're just friends. That's not what it looked like to me though…the way she looked at you all doe eyed and dreamy. I'd say she wants to be more than friends," Dean said with a few pumps of his brow.

"Dean…"

"Dean, leave your brother alone. Let's go, shall we?" John interrupted with a shake of his head.

"Dreamy? Did you really just say dreamy?" Sam asked with a chuckle.

"Yeah…I did. I swear, it was like a scene out of some corny fifties puppy love movie or something," Dean said with disgust.

"You're just jealous 'cause it's not you she's looking at that way, Dean…now let's go," John demanded as he began to walk toward the parking area.

"Fine," Dean huffed. He moved next to his brother and took his arm to guide him in the right direction. He grinned widely when Sam didn't pull away from the help.

"Dean," Sam whispered as he walked alongside his brother. "Ritu and I are just friends. She doesn't want to go out with me or anything like that. Why would she anyway?"

"Yeah…you keep telling yourself that, Sammy boy. She's got a crush on you…it's so obvious," Dean replied.

Sam shook his head and sighed. "Why would she want to date a blind guy, Dean. How would that be any fun for her?" he asked.

"I just know what I saw. She likes you as more than a friend, Sam. You'll need to let her down easy…don't want to break her poor little heart," Dean said in reply.

"Well…what makes you think I wouldn't want to go out with her?"

Dean turned to look at his brother, eyes narrowed. "What? Sammy…"

"Why couldn't I go out with her if we both wanted it?"

"I'm not saying you can't…I just didn't think you were into that I guess."

"Why…'cause blind guys can't date?"

"What! No…that's not what I meant, Sam."

"Then what did you mean?"

"It's just that you've never shown any interest in dating before. Do you want to go out with her?"

"I don't know. I haven't really thought about it all that much."

"But you have thought about it?"

Sam grinned a little and turned his head toward his brother. "Maybe," he said softly.

"Sammy, you sly dog. If you want to ask her out then ask her out. I can give you some money so you can take her some place nice and…"

"I have money, Dean…I just don't know if I want to start something up. I haven't been on a date before and I have no idea what to do."

"Well, she already likes you…a lot…so there's no trying to impress her. All you have to do is be yourself…as amazing as that sounds."

"Jerk."

"Bitch."

**x x x x x x x x x x x x**

The Winchesters occupied the booth near the front of the diner, the table laden with burgers and fries, pie and coffee and a bowl of vanilla pudding for Sam. Dean looked down at his plate, the young man practically drooling at the aroma wafting up around him.

"Dean…you need a bib?" John asked with amusement, his eyes sparkling when Dean looked up with a look of mortification on his handsome face.

"Geez, Dad, keep it down! I'm just hungry and it smells really good," Dean hissed.

Sam chuckled then slipped from his seat and stood up. "Hey, where you going?" Dean asked as he made to get up.

"I'm going to the restroom to wash my hands," Sam answered.

"Here, I'll go with you," Dean said.

"No, that's okay…I can do it on my own," Sam replied softly. "Just point me in the right direction," he added.

"Uh…okay. Turn to your left the take about ten steps then turn right. Second door on your left," Dean said hesitantly, his eyes scoping out the diner, assessing any dangers that could be waiting for an unsuspecting blind person.

Sam smiled then turned in the direction he was instructed to. "Thanks, Dean," he said as he walked away.

Dean and John watched him, both impressed with the ease in which he found the restroom. Dean turned around in his seat and glanced at his father. John cast his gaze from the restroom door to his eldest son and grinned. "He's pretty good at finding his way, isn't he?" he said.

"Yeah…he's had a few years to figure things out," Dean answered. "Uh…while we have a minute, Dad…I wanted to ask you something," he added.

"You want to know if I trust Sammy's new friend don't you?" John asked, the elder Winchester knowing his son all too well.

"Well…yeah. I mean, he meets her his first day alone here? She just helps him out of the goodness of her heart? I mean, I can tell that she likes him and I actually encouraged him to ask her out if he likes her too, but…I don't know…maybe I'm just being paranoid," Dean said.

"You're not being paranoid, Dean. I'm sure everything is fine with her, but I plan to put her through a few tests tonight when she brings over dinner so don't worry. By the time we leave Palo Alto, we'll know if this Ritu person has any less then admirable intentions with Sammy."

**x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Dean leaned back on Sam's bed and patted his stomach contentedly. "Man, I never thought vegetables could be so good. And that rice dessert…what did you say that was again, Ritu?" he asked.

"It's payas…rice, milk and sugar," Ritu answered with a bright smile, her black hair falling into her eyes as she leaned over to clear the dishes from the small coffee table they had pulled up to the bed.

"Payas…well, whatever it was, it rocked!" Dean exclaimed happily. "I wonder if they could make a payas pie," he added under his breath.

"Dean, you're a lost cause," Sam chuckled as he finished his last spoonful of payas.

"Ritu…my compliments on dinner. We don't usually get home cooked meals…it's all fast food and diners for us. I don't know exactly how you pulled it off being in the dorms, but I thank you very much," John said as he too patted his stomach and smiled up at the blushing young lady.

"Thank you, Mr. Winchester…it's really not that hard to make," Ritu answered.

"You can call me, John. Mr. Winchester was my father," John said.

"Oh…okay…John," Ritu answered with a light giggle.

John stood from the folding chair he occupied and helped Ritu clear the rest of the paper plates and bowls from the coffee table. He tied the garbage bag off and placed it next to the door of Sam's dorm room. It was a single room, meaning Sam had no roommate, which suited the two elder Winchesters just fine. It meant that nothing would be said about the protections that were laid around the room. Ritu, even though she must have noticed them, didn't seem to pay them much attention. John figured Sam had already told her some sort of believable story as to why he needed salt at his doorway and windows and a sigil on the door.

Ritu wiped the table down with a wet paper towel then glanced around the room. "Well, looks like everything is cleaned up. I better get back to my dorm and get some studying done," she said, her dark eyes moving from one hunter to the other before settling on Sam, a small smile curling her lips. Sam stood and shimmied carefully around the table then moved up beside the girl.

"I'll walk you to the door," he said.

Dean and John watched with grins as the two said their goodbyes at the door then glanced at each other as they both stifled chuckles. Sam closed the door after Ritu then made his way back to his bed where he sat back down next to Dean. "So," he began as he drew his legs up onto the bed and leaned back against the wall. "Did she pass all of your tests?" he finished with a grin.

"What are you talking about, Sammy?" Dean asked as innocently as he could.

"Dean, I know you two. You gave her holy water, didn't you? And you made her touch silver…made sure she put salt on her food?"

"Well, we didn't need to do the salt because she crossed the salt lines just fine," John answered lightly.

Sam shook his head and dropped his chin to his chest. "You really didn't need to do all of that you know," he said softly.

"Yes we did and you know it. You're still our responsibility even if you aren't with us all of the time, Sammy. It's up to us to make sure you're safe," Dean said in reply.

Sam lifted his chin and smiled. "I meant you didn't need to do all of that because I already did," he said with a chuckle.

"What? Why didn't you tell us?" Dean asked incredulously.

"And ruin all of your fun? I could never do that!" Sam quipped cheerily.

John shook his head then leaned forward and patted his youngest son's knee. "It's good to know that you're still taking the necessary precautions, Sammy," he said. "So, I just have one question."

"What's that?" Sam asked.

"When are you going to ask that girl out?"

**That's it for now. Will post on three brothers next...hopefully soon :/ Anyway...let me know what you think. Thanks and love to you all!**

**Cindy**


	6. Chapter 6

**Yep, I know. It's been a looooooooooooong time! Well, what can I say? I really need to learn not to start more than one project at a time. My fault...completely my fault. Anyway...I'll just let you get to the story. Thanks so much for sticking with me.**

**Cindy**

"Okay, so if the doctors didn't find anything really wrong with your eyes, then why can't you see?" Ritu asked as she sorted through the notes in front of her. Across the small coffee table, Sam sat on his bed and contemplated his answer. Ritu looked up when her friend didn't immediately respond. "Sam?" she asked curiously.

"Oh…sorry. Um…they didn't really know for sure. I hit my head and they thought maybe that did something, but they couldn't be certain," Sam lied, the young man uncomfortable with the conversation. He couldn't tell Ritu the real reason for his blindness, but he hated lying to young woman.

"Huh…that's really strange. I don't know much about American doctors and such but it seems they should at least be able to have more than just an idea about why someone suddenly goes blind," Ritu said, her dark eyes staring up at Sam.

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, it happens sometimes. Spontaneous blindness and deafness aren't unheard of," Sam said as he shifted uncomfortably on his bed.

Ritu noticed his discomfort and frowned. "I'm sorry, Sam…I shouldn't be asking you all these questions. It's really none of my business," she apologized.

"No, it's okay. I just really don't have any answers for you is all," Sam replied with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

Ritu smiled, but she continued to gaze sadly up at Sam's face. She couldn't imagine what it must be like for him, trying to keep up with his studies while unable to see. The fact that Sam was sitting up close to the top of all his classes was even more amazing to her, and he seemed to do it all with a positive attitude that most of the students who could see didn't possess. If he was stressed out about his classes, he didn't show it. In fact, he seemed to be quite comfortable with everything having to do with his studies. It was the more social and personal aspects of college life that Sam seemed to struggle with. He was shy and unsure of himself outside of the classroom and avoided most social events around campus. He'd go to the coffee shop as long as he was with Ritu, but that was it. Ritu sighed and sat back on the floor, her legs crossed in front of her.

"So, Sam…there's a party tomorrow night and I was wondering if you'd want to go with me," Ritu said as she absently shuffled the notes on the table.

Sam opened his mouth, but hesitated in answering. "Uh…I don't think…I gotta study," he finally stammered.

"Sam…I'll be there. You'll be fine," Ritu said, her eyes watching Sam intently.

"It's not that…I've got a test on Monday that I need to study for," Sam hastily replied.

"You know that material, Sam…more studying is not going to make you know it any more," Ritu said.

"Ritu, I…I just don't feel comfortable with it, okay? Do you really want to have to lead me around by the hand the entire night? You won't have any fun if I go," Sam offered.

"Sam, there's more to college than studying and it's time for you to realize that. Do you think I'm comfortable with it? I'm not even from this country. I have this accent that people notice right off and I get odd looks all of the time, but that doesn't stop me and your blindness shouldn't stop you either."

Sam leaned back against the wall and dropped his head. Finally, he lifted his chin and smiled nervously. "I…I guess I could go with you…for a little while," he said softly.

"Really?" Ritu asked, her dark eyes lighting up, a bright smile spreading over her pretty face.

"Yeah…but don't get mad at me if you don't have any fun," Sam said.

"We'll both have fun, you'll see," Ritu replied happily. The young woman couldn't stop smiling as she straightened the notes on the table then slipped them into her backpack. She stood and moved around the table and stood over Sam. "Well, I better get back to my room…I'll see you tomorrow, Sam," she said before leaning over and kissing him lightly on the cheek.

"Oh…uh…do you want me to walk you to the door?" Sam asked, his cheeks turning a soft pink.

Ritu giggled lightly and stepped back from the bed. "No, I think I can make it the ten feet to the door on my own," she answered.

Sam listened as his friend walked across the floor and went out the door. When he was sure Ritu was gone, he lifted his fingers up to his cheeks and lightly brushed them over the place where Ritu had kissed him. He smiled softly, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. He felt anxious about going to the party, but the knowledge that Ritu would be there made him relax a bit. As long as she was near, he wouldn't feel so out of place and afraid. He shook his head at the idea of being afraid of going to a party considering what he and his family did for a living…a living that didn't pay anything. Monsters he could handle, partying college students was a whole other story. Sam sighed as he shifted on his bed and pulled the covers back. He slid under the covers, turned onto his side and pulled the covers up over his shoulder. He closed his eyes and fell asleep with a smile on his lips.

x x x x x x x x x x x x

Sam hesitated as Ritu pulled on his hand to guide him up the steps to the house where the party was being held. He could hear loud music and voices inside and suddenly, he wanted to be anywhere but here.

"Sam, come on. You'll be fine. We're going to have fun," Ritu coaxed as she tugged lightly on his hand.

"I…I don't know. I really won't fit in here, Ritu. I think I should just go back to my room," Sam said as he pulled back against the young woman's grip.

"Sam…I'll be right next to you. Just relax okay?" Ritu said.

"I don't know…"

"Look, if you aren't having fun in an hour, we'll leave. We'll go to the coffee shop and no harm will be done," Ritu interrupted.

Sam swallowed and finally nodded nervously. "Okay…I guess I can do that," he said.

Ritu smiled widely and turned back toward the house. She guided Sam up the short flight of steps then pushed the door open. The two young people walked into the house and fought their way through the crowd. They worked their way through the house, Ritu guiding Sam, keeping him from tripping over outstretched feet and other obstacles that a sighted person would have no problem navigating. They made it to the kitchen where Ritu got them two sodas then they moved back into the livingroom. Music pumped through large speakers making it hard to talk so Ritu guided them out of the livingroom and to an area that wasn't quite so loud.

"So…you doing okay!" Ritu asked, her voice raised above the din of the music.

Sam leaned close to her, his eyes staring blankly out from under light colored sunglasses. "It's loud!" he answered.

Ritu chuckled as she leaned in even closer then cast her gaze over the crowd. She turned when someone from behind her called out her name. "Hey, Angie! How long have you been here?" she called back.

"We got here about a half hour ago! Didn't know if you were going to show up or not!" Angie shouted in reply. "I take it this is Sam?"

"Yeah! Sam, this is Angie!"

Sam reached out his hand and flinched slightly when a small hand took it. He nodded, preferring not to shout. Angie smiled then turned to Ritu. "He's so cute," she mouthed with a bright smile on her red tinted lips. Ritu nodded and glanced up at Sam then back at her friend.

"So, where's Kyle?" Ritu asked as a rare moment of relative quiet filled the house.

"Oh, he's around here somewhere," Angie answered, her blue eyes scanning the partygoers for her wayward boyfriend. "There he is!" she called when she spied the young man across the room. "Kyle! Over here!" Angie smiled when the medium built blonde began to make his way toward her.

"Hey, Ritu…how you doing?" Kyle asked as he reached the group of friends.

"I'm doing good! This is Sam!" Ritu answered, her voice once more raised so she could be heard over the music.

Kyle reached out and lightly smacked Sam on the arm. "Good to meet you, Sam!" he shouted.

"You too!" Sam called in reply.

"So…you're blind huh?" Kyle asked.

"Kyle!" Angie cried in obvious embarrassment.

"What? I was just asking!"

"You don't ask stuff like that!"

"No, it's okay. I'm okay with it…really," Sam interjected, the young man not wanting to be the reason for the couple to start an argument.

"Hey…sorry, man. I didn't mean to be rude or anything. I've just never known someone blind before," Kyle apologized.

"Don't worry about it," Sam replied with a warm grin. "It's no big deal."

"You're pretty cool! And Angie says you're damned smart too!"

"Oh…well, I don't know about that!"

"Well, either way…its good to meet you!"

Sam smiled and nodded as he felt himself relax a bit. Ritu's friends seemed nice and he began to think that maybe he might just have fun afterall. The group of young people continued to talk, loudly, and soon, much to Ritu's delight, Sam even began to chuckle at Kyle's very bad jokes. She smiled up at him and moved closer until her arm brushed his.

"Hey guys, are you hungry?" Kyle suddenly asked as he looked around the small group.

"Uh…yeah, I could eat something," Angie answered.

"Me too," Ritu said. "What about you, Sam? Are you hungry?"

"Um…I guess I'm a little hungry," Sam answered.

"Come on, let's go hit the snack table then!" Kyle chimed excitedly.

Angie shook her head and chuckled at her friend. "You're an bottomless pit, Kyle," she said with a grin.

"Hey, I'm on the football team…I need fuel!" Kyle cried indignantly.

"Yeah, yeah…you're the place kicker," Angie said.

"Place kicker is a very important position!"

"Okay, mister big time jock…let's go get you some fuel," Angie chuckled.

Ritu laughed as her friends walked away then she turned and glanced up at Sam. "Shall we?" she asked.

"Um…I think I'll just wait here. Can you get me something?" Sam asked sheepishly.

Ritu frowned and stepped forward. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just don't want you to have to lead me around all the time."

"Sam, I don't want to leave you alone. I promised you I…"

"I'll be fine, Ritu. If you could just bring me some chips or something," Sam interrupted.

"Sam…are you sure?"

"I'm sure…go," Sam said.

Ritu hesitated, but finally she turned and walked toward the kitchen, leaving Sam leaning against a built in bookcase. He leaned his head back and waiting for Ritu and his new friends to return. He heard the front door open and two loud voices immediately could be heard over the music. He shook his head and sighed. "Never fails," he whispered under his breath as the voices grew louder…and closer.

"Well, what do we have here!" one of the voices shouted.

Sam flinched slightly when someone bumped his arm. "Isn't this the wonder boy from your Lit class? The blind kid?" the voice next to him asked.

"Yeah…it is," voice number one said.

"And look…he's drinking a soda. What's wrong, wonder boy…afraid mommy and daddy will cut you off if you have a real drink?" voice number two asked.

"Why don't you two just go get your beers and leave me alone," Sam snapped as he pushed away from the bookcase.

Sam was grabbed roughly by the arm and jerked back against the case. "Where you going? You think I'm gonna let some blind freak walk away from me!"

Sam yanked his arm out of the guy's grip then shoved the bully away. "Grow up…this isn't highschool," he said as he once again attempted to walk away and ran into what felt like a brick wall.

"Looks like we need to teach wonder boy a lesson, Matt."

"Really? Are you serious with this?" Sam asked incredulously before his hair was suddenly grabbed and his head yanked back.

"Oh yeah…I'm serious."

"Hey! What the hell is going on!" Kyle's voice shouted and Sam's hair was immediately let go.

"Kyle? What's up dude?"

"Knock it off, Sakorsky!" Kyle snapped. "Sam…you okay?"

"I…"

"Wait…this a friend of yours, Kyle?"

Kyle shook his head and moved up in front of Sam. "Yeah…he's a friend of mine so back off!"

The two bullies moved away and laughed as they disappeared into the crowd of partiers who had obviously not noticed what was happening or just didn't care. Ritu and Angie rushed up to the two young men, Ritu immediately taking Sam's hand and looking worriedly up at her friend.

"Sam…I'm so sorry. I…"

"What're you sorry for? You didn't do anything wrong," Sam said.

"I left you alone and I said I wouldn't leave your side," Ritu said, her voice quivering slightly.

"Ritu…I'm fine. What would you have done anyway?" Sam asked as he gave the girl's hand a gentle squeeze.

"Maybe they wouldn't have messed with you if you hadn't been alone."

"Look…I'm fine and besides, I apparently have a bodyguard," Sam said with a chuckle.

Angie laughed and looked over at her friend. "So, why would those two neanderthal linebackers back down from the place kicker anyway?" she asked.

Kyle turned towards her and smiled slyly. "I told you…the place kicker is a very important position," he answered with a wide grin. "Plus, my uncle is the assistant coach so…" he added with a shrug.

"Of course he is," Angie said with a shake of her head. "And you didn't tell me this why?"

"Never came up," Kyle answered. He grabbed Angie's arm and dragged her to where several partiers were dancing, the blonde girl laughing as they too began to dance.

Sam stepped back and leaned against the bookcase again. He gave Ritu's hand another squeeze when she didn't say anything. "Hey, you okay?" he asked softly.

"I just…I shouldn't have left you alone, Sam. I know you said you're fine, but I promised you I would stay with you and I didn't," Ritu answered miserably.

Sam turned toward his friends voice and smiled warmly. "I told you to go, Ritu. It's no big deal. It's not like I haven't dealt with jerks like that before," he said.

Ritu frowned as she glanced up at her friend. She knew people could be cruel, but the thought of anybody harming someone as sweet and kind as Sam angered her immensely. "Sam…can we just go, please? I don't feel like being here anymore…not with those two jerks still here," she said.

"Ritu…we don't have to leave. I really am fine," Sam answered.

"I know…I just want to go…unless you want to stay," Ritu said.

"If you want to go, we'll go. You want to go to the coffee shop or the diner?"

"Uh…sure, if you want."

"Okay then, let's go."

Sam pushed away from the bookcase and waited for Ritu to take the lead. They said goodbye to Kyle and Angie on the way out and within minutes found themselves outside in the cool night air. Ritu took Sam's arm and turned them toward the direction where several shops and cafes were located. They walked slowly, both enjoying the silence of the night. A few cars passed by on the street, but other than that, they were pretty much alone. After walking for several blocks, Ritu slowed her pace before leading Sam to a bench that sat alongside the sidewalk. Together they sat down, neither speaking a word as they let the cool breeze brush over their skin. Finally, Sam turned in Ritu's direction and reached out and grasped her arm.

"Ritu…are you still thinking about those jocks?" Sam asked softly.

Ritu sighed and looked up at her friend. Her stomach fluttered, just like every other time she looked at Sam's face. She laid her small hand over his and smiled. "I'm still upset…I just…what if they had hurt you? I practically begged you to go to that party and look what happened. I'm so sorry, Sam," she cried softly in reply.

Sam shook his head and smiled. "I wouldn't have gotten hurt. I do know how to take care of myself. My dad and brother have made very sure that I can handle situations like that," he said.

"Then why didn't you do something?"

"I didn't want to cause a scene, you know? I'm trying to fit in the best I can and creaming two guys from the football team would not be the way to go about that. I mean…what would people think if some blind guy was able to kick the crap out of two guys who are what…twice his size?"

"Sam…you don't need to try to fit in. You have a way about you…people automatically like you. You just have to give them a chance. You go right from your classes to either your room or the library. The only time you go out is if you're with me and that's only to the coffee shop or diner."

"Um…I don't think those two jerks liked me all that well," Sam said with a light grin.

"Well…they don't count. Look…all I wanted to do was get you out of your room and with other people and look what happened. All I managed to do was almost get you beaten up."

Ritu pulled her hand away and slumped against the back of the bench. She startled when Sam reached up and cupped her cheek. She turned and looked up, her pretty, dark eyes wide with surprise. She gasped slightly when Sam moved his hand and brushed his fingers over her soft lips. He then leaned over and tenderly brushed his lips over hers. Ritu moaned softly as Sam moved his hand around to the back of her head and pulled her gently to him, the kiss deepening as the two let themselves get lost in the unfamiliar closeness of their bodies. Finally, Sam pulled away and smiled, his hand dropping down to grasp Ritu's.

"You worry too much," he whispered softly.

Ritu stared up at Sam's face, her cheeks flushed, her fingers brushing over her tingling lips. "Y-Yeah…I…uh…I…"

Sam chuckled lightly then leaned over and kissed the speechless girl again.

x x x x x x x x x x x x

Dean awoke with a gasp, his green eyes frantically searching the dark as he whipped the covers from his body and bolted up from his bed. He could hear his father stirring in the other bed and not wanting to wake the man, he quietly made his way to the bathroom. He shut the door then switched on the light. He squinted against the sudden brightness then slowly opened his eyes and allowed them to adjust to the light. His heart pounded in his chest, the images from his all too vivid nightmare playing over and over through his mind. He stumbled to the sink and turned the handle for the cold water. He leaned over the basin and splashed the cold liquid over his face and neck then stood and stared into the mirror. The face that stared back was pale, the eyes haunted and scared.

"Sammy," Dean whispered as he tried to reign in the panic that threatened to over take him.

It was just a dream…Dean knew that, but it seemed so real and the mere thought of it made his heart race even faster. Dean took several deep breaths and closed his eyes. He tried to tell himself that it was just the fact that he hadn't seen his brother for several weeks now that he was having these nightmares every night. He had yet to be comfortable with the separation and knew that in all likelihood, it was his fear of Sam being on his own that was sparking the nightly horrorfests, but the one thing that kept him from completely dismissing the dreams as just the products of his imagination was the presence of the yellow eyed man. It was the yellow eyed man who night after night for the past week had cruelly and violently taken his brother from him, the younger sibling pleading with Dean to save him even as his belly was ripped open, his pleading cut short as flames suddenly leapt around him before consuming him completely.

Dean stumbled backward until his back connected with the wall behind him. He lifted his hands to his face before scrubbing them through is unkempt hair. Finally, when his breathing had calmed he reached over and switched off the light before opening the door and carefully making his way around John's bed back to his own. He sat down on the edge of the bed and glanced over at his sleeping father. He glanced over at the nightstand where his phone lay and he almost reached for it. He wanted to hear Sam's voice, to know that he was okay, but what would he say once Sam answered? _"Hey, Sammy…I'm sorta having this dream about a yellow eyed man ripping you open and burning you up…you know…just like Mom and…how's the studies going?"_

"Yeah, that would go over good," Dean whispered under his breath. He breathed in deeply then swung his legs up onto the bed. He scooted up against the headboard and reached for the television remote that lay next to his phone. He turned on the television and set it to mute. There was no way he'd be sleeping anymore that night, not if he could help it at least. He'd call Sam in the morning when he'd had time to calm down more. No reason to worry his little brother…the kid had enough on his platealready. Dean found a station that caught his attention and he settled in, his eyes watching the screen, but his mind a thousand or so miles to the west.

**Not much action, I know...but that is coming...I promise. I'll be working on the next chapter for the three brothers next, so be watching for that. Take care.**

**Cindy**


	7. Chapter 7

**Finally got this chapter done. I didn't think it was ever going to happen. Yikes! Thanks for all of the reviews, you guys never cease to amaze me with the wonderful things you say. So, no more talk...now...read :D**

**Cindy**

Dean startled awake, his hand pressing on his chest in an unconscious effort to still his racing heart. The dream was different every time, but each one still had the same outcome…Sam taken from him by the yellow eyed man. It wasn't always the same save for one thing…Sam's eyes pleading with Dean to save him right before he was lost to him forever. Dean sucked in a shaky breath and turned at the sound of his father's voice.

"Dean…everything okay?" John murmured from his bed.

"Y-Yeah, Dad…bad dream is all," Dean answer.

"Been getting those a lot lately, son," John said as he turned over and glanced at Dean with sleep dazed eyes.

"I'm okay, Dad…no big deal. Go back to sleep," Dean said as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and leaned slightly over his knees.

"Want to talk about it?"

Dean shook his head and smiled tiredly at this father. "No…it's just a dream. Nothing to worry about," he answered, his gaze turning to the clock on the bedside table that read 4:52 AM.

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure, Dad…go back to sleep. I'm gonna hit the john then I'll be right back in bed too."

John watched Dean for a few more moments before rolling back onto his side and closing his eyes. It didn't take long until Dean heard the soft snores that indicated his father had fallen back to sleep. Dean stood to go to the bathroom then stopped and reached for his cellphone. He quietly made his way to the bathroom and silently shut the door beside him. He did his business, washed his hands then closed the toilet lid and sat down. He brushed his hand over his face then flipped open his phone. He found Sam's name, his finger hovering over the call button for a few seconds before he finally pressed it. It took several rings before a slurred, sleep heavy voice answered from the other end.

"_Dean? What's wrong? What's happened?"_

Dean sighed with the relief of hearing Sam's voice. "Nothing's wrong, Sammy…just wanted to call my little brother," he answered, his voice low so as not to wake his father.

"_It's almost three in the morning, Dean. What're you doing up so early. Are you okay? Is Dad okay?"_

"We're both fine. Just can't sleep and wanted to see how you were doing."

"_Dean, we just talked day before yesterday." _

"I know…I just…is everything good there? You're doing okay?"

"_I'm fine…everything is fine. What's going on?"_

"Uh…it's nothing. Just wanted to talk to you is all."

"_Dean…"_

"So, everything is good…you're good? You're keeping up on the salt lines and protections?"

"_Of course I'm keeping up with the protections."_

"Good…that's good. So, is there anybody I need to know about who I'm gonna need to kick their ass the next time I come out there?"

"_Uh…no. I can take care of myself you know."_

"So, that means there is somebody? Who is it, Sammy?"

"_Dean…there isn't anybody…"_

"Who is it, Sam? Who do I need to maim?"

Dean heard a heavy sigh before Sam spoke again. _"It's already taken care of, Dean. Nothing to worry about."_

"Tell me who messed with you, Sam. Did they hurt you?" Dean's body was shaking as he awaited Sam's reply.

"_They didn't hurt me, Dean. I'm fine and they haven't bugged me since."_

"Who are they and when the hell did this happen?"

Another sigh from Sam then, _"Just a couple of jocks from the football team and it happened a while back at a party. Nothing happened though…they were just mouthing off is all."_

"Just mouthing off huh? No bodily harm was…wait a second…did you say party?" Dean asked when he realized what Sam had said.

"_Uh…yeah…"_

"You went to a party?"

"_Yeah, Dean…I went to a party. So?"_

"So…when you say party, do you mean a true, honest to god party with booze and chicks and loud music or do you mean a geek party where you all sit around doing math equations and discussing the world's problems?"

"_It was a party, Dean. No math equations or world problems," _Sam answered with a chuckle_._

"Really? And what could have possibly dragged you away from your books to go to a party? Or, should I say who?" Dean asked with a glimmer in his eyes.

"_It's no big deal. Ritu asked me to go and I went."_

"Ritu huh? Nice, Sammy."

"_God, Dean…you're so immature."_

Dean chuckled as he felt some of the tension leave his body. "So, are you and Ritu dating now? Is it serious? Have you gotten to third base yet?"

"_Dean!"_

"So, you have gotten to third base? I'm proud of you little brother!"

"_No! I haven't gotten to third base!"_

"Well, what are you waiting for? Did she shoot you down? Is that why you haven't gotten in her pants?"

"_Dean…my god! I haven't tried getting in her…geez…why you got to be so crude!"_

Dean smiled wickedly and leaned forward on his knees. "Sammy, you're kinda getting to the point where it's embarrassing. I mean, you're in college now and you've never had sex. I'm just watching out for your reputation here," he said, holding in the laugh that wanted to burst out of him. "So, how long have you two kids been seeing each other?" Dean smiled even wider when he heard Sam sigh. "I saw that, Sammy," he said mischievously.

"_Saw what?"_

"You roll your eyes."

"_What! You didn't see me roll my eyes!"_

"Okay, I heard you then."

"_Dean, you didn't hear me roll my eyes."_

"So, you admit you rolled your eyes."

"_What? No! I didn't roll my eyes."_

"Just admit it, Sam. You rolled your eyes."

"_No…this is stupid!"_

"The truth will set you free, Sammy."

"_Dean…"_

"Say it, Sam…you know you can."

"_Fine! I rolled my eyes! Happy now?"_

"Ecstatic."

"_You're a jerk, you know that?"_

"Awww…I love you too, Sammy."

"_Jerk," _Sam whispered, and Dean could almost hear him shake his head.

"So, you gonna answer my question?"

"_I don't even remember the question."_

"How long have you and Ritu been dating?"

"_Dean…fine…it's been about a month."_

Dean's eyes widened slightly and he pulled the phone away from his ear and eyed it incredulously as if he could see Sam by looking at it. He put the phone back to his ear and narrowed his eyes. "We've talked how many times in the past month and you never thought it was worth mentioning that you had a girlfriend? What gives, Sam?"

"_You never asked."_

"I have to ask if my little brother is making kissy face on a regular basis with the same girl?"

"_Dean!"_

"I'm hurt, Sammy…I'm really hurt!"

" _I didn't tell you 'cause I knew you'd tease me…just like you're doing now."_

"I'm not teasing…well, not much anyway. So, you really haven't had sex yet?"

"_Dean!"_

"I mean, is it like a taboo thing? She's from India right? Don't they do like arranged marriages or something like that?"

"_No…well, I mean, yeah…the most traditional families do, but not Ritu's."_

"Okay…so what's stopping you big boy? Get some action, college boy!"

"_Dean, her family may not expect to arrange her marriage, but they wouldn't be too happy if they found out she had premarital sex either and besides…I would never ask her to do that…I respect her and her values too much."_

"You can respect her and still get laid, Sammy…"

"_I'm not having this discussion with you, Dean. Neither one of us is ready so just drop it."_

"You gonna stay a virgin all your life, Sammy? Come on, that's not natural."

"_Dean, I said this discussion is over. Now, I know you didn't call to find out about my sex life so can you just get on with it? It's like…3:15 in the morning. I was up 'til midnight and I have an early class."_

"First of all…in order to have a sex life you have to actually have sex, Sammy. And second…can't a guy just call his little brother to shoot the breeze once in a while?"

"_It's 3:15 here…so at the latest its 6:15 depending upon where you and Dad are. You're never up this early unless Dad gets you up for a hunt so…"_

"I told you I couldn't sleep, Sammy." Cue Sam's sigh.

"_You always say I don't get enough sleep. You wouldn't call when you knew you'd wake me up unless you had a reason, Dean…so, what is it?"_

Dean brushed his hand through his hair and cursed under his breath. His brother was always too smart for his own good. "It's nothing, Sam…just…well…everything is good there right? Nothing out of the ordinary? No one showing unusual interest in you?"

"_No…not that I know of. I mean…I can't really see if anybody is watching me, but Ritu is usually with me and she hasn't said anything. Why, Dean? What's going on?"_

"I don't know. I guess maybe it's been too long since I've seen you. I'm getting paranoid or something."

"_Dean…why are you calling?"_

"I…crap…I've been having these dreams, Sam."

"_Yeah…don't want to hear the details please…yuck."_

"I'm serious. They involve you…"

"_Double yuck, Dean."_

Dean smiled despite himself, knowing that his brother was trying to lighten the mood again since the conversation had turned so serious so quickly. "Get your mind out of the gutter, little brother," he said.

"_Yeah, my mind is the one in the gutter. So, what kind of dreams?"_

"I don't really think you need to hear about them. It's probably like I said…too long since seeing you and being tired from the hunts Dad has had us on."

"_Does something happen to me, Dean? Is that why you can't sleep?"_

"Sammy…"

"_It's okay, Dean…you can tell me."_

Dean sucked in a nervous breath then let it out slowly. "Yeah…something happens to you and it…I…"

"_It's bad huh?"_

"Yeah…it's bad and…and it involves the yellow eyed man." Dean heard a quick intake of breath before Sam spoke again.

"_Oh…um…it's just a dream, Dean. Like you said…the separation and you being tired. I'm sure it's nothing."_

"Yeah…me too, but it…it…I lose you, Sam. Every dream is different except for two things…the yellow eyed man and losing you. It scares me."

"_Have you told Dad?"_

"No. He'd just tell me its just a dream so what's the use."

"_Yeah."_

"Sammy…you'd call me if anything seemed off, right? Anything at all…you'd call me?"

"_Yeah, Dean…of course."_

"Okay…just…keep the protections up and the salt lines intact. Dad and I are going to be heading that direction pretty soon...once we get this hunt finished. I'll talk him into coming by to see you."

"_Okay, Dean. You know I'll take all the precautions."_

"Sorry for waking you up…you should get back to sleep so you can get up for your class."

"_Okay…are you going to be okay?"_

"Yeah…I'll be fine. Just watch yourself, okay?"

"_I will. Night, Dean."_

"Night," Dean replied before flipping his phone shut and staring at the wall in front of him. He pushed to his feet and stood in front of the sink, his eyes gazing at his haggard appearance. He turned on the cold water faucet and splashed several handfuls over his face then dried himself with a towel and quietly left the bathroom. He glanced down at his father who was thankfully still deeply asleep then moved to his own bed and climbed beneath the covers. After placing his phone on the nightstand he stared up at the ceiling and sighed. Hearing Sam's voice had eased his tension slightly, but he couldn't shake the sinking feeling that there was more to his dreams than just tiredness and separation from Sam.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Sam moaned softly, his head tilted back against his pillow as Ritu planted light kisses along his throat, his skin tingling at the sensation. He gently guided her face back up, their lips meeting in a tentative, sweet kiss. The kiss deepened, both boy and girl breathing heavily as passion took over guiding their hands as they mapped out each other's bodies. Sam could feel himself being swept away and with all the strength he could muster, he pulled away from the kiss and lifted his hands to Ritu's face, his fingers brushing tenderly through the hair that hung over her eyes.

"Sam? What's wrong?" Ritu asked as she turned her head slightly and softly kissed Sam's fingers.

"We can't do this," Sam whispered in reply. "Your family…"

Ritu dropped her forehead to Sam's and sighed. "I know. I want to so badly, but…I know we can't," she said softly. She lifted her head and gazed down into the sightless eyes that she wished so much could see her. They were beautiful eyes and if one didn't know about Sam's blindness they'd never guess it by looking into their hazel depths. Ritu had often wondered why Sam's eyes hadn't taken on the appearance she was used to seeing in blind people's eyes. Without the ability to see, the blind stopped moving their eyes, weakening the muscles and giving them the 'lazy eye' look. Sam's eyes were perfect, except for the fact that he couldn't see. Ritu leaned forward and lovingly kissed each eye and smiled as she then lay her head on Sam's shoulder. She nuzzled Sam's neck, her hand moving down to softly caress his flat stomach. Sam sighed softly then turned and tenderly kissed Ritu's silky hair.

"I wish I could see you," Sam whispered as he pulled the girl tighter to his body. "I want to see how beautiful you are," he added.

Ritu fought back tears as Sam's words said everything she wished for too. She pushed up then took Sam's hand. She lifted it to her face and pressed it to her cheek. "See me, Sam," she whispered breathlessly.

Sam rolled his head toward Ritu's voice then tenderly began to trace the lines and angles of her face. His fingers moved lightly over her skin…her eyes…her nose…before lingering over her kiss swollen lips. Ritu closed her eyes as Sam's touch ignited a fire within her. She leaned down and kissed him, her hand tracing over the chiseled chest beneath his tee shirt. Sam moaned as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in to deepen the kiss. He gasped as she moved her hand down to the waistband of his sleep pants, her fingers slipping beneath the cloth and brushing lightly over his naked skin. She pulled away from the kiss as she also moved her hand back up to Sam's chest. She lay her head back down onto Sam's shoulder and sighed.

"I…I think I love you, Sam and…"

"Ritu…"

"I know it's an impossible relationship, but I can't help how I feel," Ritu continued, her voice trembling as if she were on the verge of tears.

"I care so much about you, Ritu…I think I may love you too, but I know it would never work. You can't be stuck with a blind guy for the rest of…"

"It has nothing to do with that, Sam. I don't care if you're blind. Do I wish you could see? Yes, of course I do, but not to make things easier for me. I hate that you can't see the sunset or the sky when it's so blue it almost hurts to look at it. There's so much beauty that you don't get to see and it makes me so sad."

Sam turned slightly onto his side and brushed his hand gently up and down Ritu's side. "Why is it impossible then?" he asked softly.

Ritu looked up at Sam's face and smiled sadly, her nearly black eyes glistening as tears welled behind her lids. "I'm on a study visa, Sam. I have one year here and then I have to go back to India," she replied, the tears spilling over to roll lazily down her cheeks.

"Just a year?" Sam asked, his own voice thick as he swallowed back the lump in his throat.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I…I didn't expect to feel this way."

"It's okay…neither did I."

"I may be able to get my visa extended, but…I don't think my parents could afford for me to stay any longer than a year. I know it's nearly a full year away, but…I don't even want to think about leaving you."

"Let's not think about it then. A lot can happen in a year," Sam whispered as he pulled the petite girl to him and hugged her close to his chest, close enough to feel the beating of her heart.

The two lay together for some time, just listening to the sound of the other's breaths until finally, Ritu pulled away and sat up. "I have to go, Sam," she said as she climbed over Sam and stood beside the bed. "Damn curfews," she muttered as she pulled on her shoes and reached for her text books.

Sam sat up and reached out for the girl. He smiled when he felt her take his hand and lift it to her lips. "Do you want me to walk you to your dorms?" he asked.

"No, Sam…I'll be fine. There's still a lot of people walking about," Ritu answered.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Okay…be careful."

"I will," Ritu said before leaning over and pressing her lips lightly to Sam's.

Ritu pulled away then without another word, moved to the door and left. Sam sat for some time that way, the young man lost in thought before finally lying back down on his bed and closing his eyes. He thought about Ritu and how much she brought to his life in such a short amount of time and he thought about Dean and the conversation they had had just a few nights before. He shivered as he recalled the way Dean had sounded that night. His brother had tried to hide it, but he couldn't mask the tremor in his voice. Sam swallowed as he felt a tendril of fear weave it's way inside of him. He always counted on Dean to be the strong one…the one who wasn't afraid of anything. So, if Dean was scared then Sam couldn't help but to be scared too. He willed the fear to go away, but couldn't quite shake it altogether. Finally, he fell into a fitful sleep, unaware of the man who at the very moment watched his window from the bench outside his building…the man who had watched the petite, black haired girl leave the building several minutes before, a wicked smile on his vile face…the man who watched with glowing yellow eyes.

**That's it for now guys. I've decided to still work on both remaining stories at the same time so I will be working on the next chapter of Separation Anxiety next. Hope you don't mind. You all rock!**

**Cindy**


	8. Chapter 8

**Finally! Working two jobs is really messing with my writing, but I finally got the next chapter done. Phew! Thank you all so much for the wonderful commetns and for sticking with me on both my stories, even though the wait between posts is far too long! Love you all 3 So, I'll just let you get to it then.**

**Cindy**

"Dean…come on…wake up!"

Dean shot up in bed, hand instantly reaching under his pillow for the knife hidden there while his green eyes searched the room around him in a near panic before his muddled, sleep heavy mind realized it was his father standing by his bed.

"Dad? What the hell?" Dean hissed as he fell back onto this pillow with a quite audible huff.

"Get up…we have to move. Now!" John snapped as he yanked the covers from his son and stomped away toward the bathroom.

Dean cursed under his breath, the chill of the early morning air bringing goosebumps to his bare arms. "Dad…what's the rush? Where we going?" he asked as he pulled himself from the bed and walked to the bathroom door and watched as John tossed their toiletries into a small bag.

John glanced over impatiently then resumed what he was doing. "Just do what I say. Get your stuff together…we roll in ten," he commanded.

"Where are we going?" Dean asked, the young man pulling the tee shirt he was wearing over his head and tossing it onto his bed.

"Palo Alto," John called from the bathroom, the gravity in his voice bringing Dean's dressing to a sudden halt.

"What? Why?" Dean asked as he once again moved to stand outside the bathroom. "Dad…what's going on?"

John sighed and dropped the toiletry bag onto the toilet lid. He looked over at his son and shook his head. "We have to get to Sammy. Bobby called and…just get dressed, Dean. We have to get moving," he answered.

"Dad…is Sam in danger? What did Bobby say? Tell me what the hell is going on!" Dean cried, fear at his father's urgency clawing at his insides, screaming at him, telling him that his brother needed him.

"Dammit, Dean! There's f***in' demon signs all over the f***in' place there! I don't know if it has anything to do with Sammy, but I'm not taking any chances! Now, do as I say and get your ass moving! It's going to take us two days to get there!" John hissed, the tall man storming out of the bathroom and stuffing the toiletry bag into a larger duffel.

"Son of a bitch! Have you tried calling him? We need to warn him!" Dean cried as he practically lunged for his cellphone.

"Dean, we don't have time for this. Get dressed, get packed and get out to the damn car!"

"I gotta call him, Dad…I have to warn him!"

John slammed his fist down onto the small table near the door and glared at his eldest son. "I already tried! It went straight to voicemail. He's most likely in class and has it shut off. I left a message…told him that we're on our way. Now, get the f*** moving!"

Dean sucked in a breath then did as his father had told him. In less than ten minutes he was sitting in the passenger seat of the Impala, heart pounding away as he watched John flip his cellphone shut then move toward the driver's door. Once John had slid behind the wheel and started the car, he glanced over at Dean and sighed. "Look, I'm sorry for yelling, it's just…"

"No, Dad…no apologies. It's Sammy…I wasn't listening…was wasting time. You were right to be mad," Dean interrupted.

John smiled grimly then backed out of the parking space and sped toward the road. "Sammy's defenseless, Dean. This could be that yellow eyed son of a bitch come to collect on whatever he thinks Sam owes him. I can't let him hurt my boy…I can't lose Sam," he said as he guided the Impala onto the highway and headed west.

"I know, Dad. I can't lose him either," Dean said softly, his thoughts taking him on an unwanted journey through the nightmares he'd recently been afflicted with. He saw Sam's eyes, wide and unseeing as fire engulfed him and he had to swallow back the bile that rose in his throat.

"I mean, I know the kid is capable of taking care of himself in most cases, but this is different. He can't fight a demon…especially not one who's gunning for him. It may not be the same demon, but I'm not taking any chances." John took a deep breath as he brushed a shaky hand over his face. He glanced over at Dean when the young man remained silent. Dean sat, head drooped to his chest, hands playing idly with the hem of his shirt. "Dean," John said, voice low yet commanding.

Dean looked up at his father and it was then that John saw he was on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry, Dad. I should have told you. We could've been there already…could've…"

"What are you talking about, Dean? You should have told me what?" John asked, fear knotting in his stomach at the look in Dean's glistening eyes.

Dean squeezed his eyes shut and brushed at his cheeks. He opened his eyes and stared miserably at his father. "The nightmares I've been having…I should have told you what…what they were about. You would've known what to do…how to keep Sammy safe," he answered softly.

"Dean…what were the nightmares about?"

"They were about Sammy and…and the yellow eyed man."

John's breath hitched before he immediately got himself under control and glanced back over at his son. "What?" he asked evenly. "What about Sam and the yellow eyed man?"

Dean took a deep breath to calm himself then turned toward his father. "Every dream is the same pretty much. The yellow eyed man…he…he takes Sammy away from us. The only difference is…is how he takes him, but the end is always the same…Sammy d-dead and me not being able to save him," he replied with a trembling voice. "Dad…we have to get there. I can't let what happens in my dreams happen to Sam."

"You should have told me, Dean. You shouldn't have kept this from me. I asked you about the nightmares and you said they were nothing," John said, anger and fear deepening his already deep voice.

"I know…I just…I didn't think they meant anything. Not really. I checked with Sammy…a few weeks ago and he said nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He said Ritu never mentioned anybody watching him or anything. I thought it was just me worrying about him…not being there to watch over him. I'm sorry, Dad. I f***ed up and now Sammy could pay the price," Dean said with a hitch to his voice.

John sighed, his dark eyes intently watching the road ahead of him. "It's not your fault, Dean. I probably would've brushed the dreams off too, but…we have to take any perceived threat to Sam seriously, no matter how farfetched or unlikely it may seem," he said, his heart breaking a little when he glanced over and saw how terrified his son was.

"Dad, is there any way we can get there faster? Two days may be too late," Dean asked fearfully.

"That was Bobby I was talking to. He's going to check to see if anybody is close to California. If so, he's going to send them Sam's way then he's going to hit the road. He'll get there before us and you know he'll protect Sam with is life. It's going to be okay, Dean…Sam's going to be okay," John said, the man hoping his voice didn't betray the uncertainty he felt inside.

"But, what if he isn't? What if we're all too late?"

"We won't be…we can't be," John whispered, his foot pushing down harder on the gas pedal as the black car sped down the highway toward a town that was way too far away.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

"Yeah, thanks Rufus…no, that's okay…I understand…take care of yourself…yeah, I'll give him a call…thanks."

Bobby hung up his phone with a grumble then hurried from the kitchen of his house. He threw several items into a bag then dragged it back to the kitchen. He picked up a very used notebook and scanned the front page before once again picking up the receiver of his phone and dialing a number. He tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for the call to be answered. When it was, he wasted no time on pleasantries.

"Yeah, Roger…please tell me that you're close to southern California…oh, thank God…Stanford University in Palo Alto…there's demon signs and I need you to find Sam Winchester…yeah, John Winchester's blind son…just, find him and make sure nobody is watching him until I get there…John and Dean are on their way, but they're coming from Pennsylvania…thanks, Roger, I owe you…yeah, I'll check in with you soon."

Bobby hung up and made one more call to John before rushing out the door and piling into his truck. A large cloud of dust followed him down the road until his tires hit asphalt and then he was off, the very air around the truck heavy with the urgency the driver felt as he prayed to a God he didn't quite believe in to take care of the boy who meant the world to so many.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Sam sat, face turned up toward the sky, a soft smile on his young, handsome face. He drank in the warmth of the sun as it bathed him in its soft, yellow light. The sounds of the day were all around him…birds chirping happily in the trees, students talking as they walked by making plans for the weekend, cars off in the distance. It was days like these, warm, slow paced days that Sam savored. Friday's he had only two classes and though he enjoyed the busy scheduled days, he always looked forward to Friday when his school day was done by noon and he had the rest of the day to himself. Friday also meant more time spent with Ritu, away from the classrooms, and that was always a good thing in Sam's opinion. A soft touch to his shoulder brought a wider smile to his face and he leaned ever so slightly into the touch.

"Here's your coffee, Sam," Ritu said softly, her small hand taking Sam's and wrapping it around the paper cup she held. Once she was sure Sam had the cup secured in his hand, she moved around and sat down on the bench beside him.

"Did you get one?" Sam asked as he turned his head in her direction.

"No…I have water for me," Ritu answered, the young woman reaching into her bag and pulling out a bottle of water and two sandwiches she'd purchased from the coffee and sandwich shop. "Here, I got you egg salad…unless you want the turkey and provolone?"

"No, egg salad sounds good," Sam said. He reached out and smiled appreciatively when Ritu placed the sandwich in his hand.

The two ate their lunches in silence, both enjoying the pleasant day. As Ritu glanced around the plaza where they sat, she noticed a man seated across the square intently watching them, or more namely, Sam. The hairs immediately went up on the back of her neck when the man turned his gaze and met her eyes, a creepy grin curling his lips. The man's gaze lingered for a few seconds then moved back to Sam, the grin replaced by a look that made Ritu's skin crawl. She instinctively leaned into Sam, her body tense as she watched the man who by now seemed to not even know, or care that she was there. He had eyes only for Sam and it unnerved her like nothing in her life ever had before. She reached down and gripped Sam's forearm in a show of protectiveness. Sam turned toward her and cocked his head, the young man sensing the sudden tension in the girl.

"Ritu…what's wrong?" Sam asked with concern.

"Um…nothing. Can we go please?" Ritu answered as she stood and attempted to tug Sam to his feet.

"Something's wrong, I can tell. What is it?" Sam said in reply. He reached up and took Ritu's arm then gently pulled her back down onto the bench.

"It's nothing, Sam…I just want to walk for a bit."

"Ritu…come on. Tell me what's got you spooked all of the sudden."

Ritu sighed as she dragged her eyes away from the staring man and looked up at Sam. "There's a man…he's watching us…or I should say watching you. He's creepy and it's freaking me out…so can we go now?"

"What? Where is he? What does he look like?" Sam asked, his voice suddenly filled with an urgency that scared the young woman seated beside him. Ritu glanced back over at the man and couldn't stop the shiver that ran up her spine.

"Um…he looks about average height, sandy hair…nothing really stands out about him except that he can't take his eyes off you," Ritu said nervously.

"His eyes…is there anything strange about them?" Sam asked.

"Um…everything is strange about him, Sam…the way he's looking at you? I don't like it…it's…predatory almost," Ritu answered.

"But, his eyes. What do they look like?"

"Sam…what? What about his eyes? They're eyes and they're staring at you. What more do you want me to tell you?"

"They're not a…um…a weird color?"

"No…they're a normal color…at least I think they are. What's going on, Sam? Do you know this guy?"

"No…I just…nevermind. Why don't we go back to my room. I'm sure maybe I remind him of somebody or something. Everything is fine, Ritu."

Ritu nodded then stood and pulled her bag strap up over her shoulder. She waited for Sam to get to his feet then glanced nervously back across the plaza, the girl frowning when she saw the man was no longer there. "Um…he's gone, Sam. I don't see him anywhere," she said, voice shaky with muted fear as she searched the area around them for the strange man.

"Maybe he realized he didn't know me and left. I'm sure it's nothing," Sam said, though inside he knew it was never nothing…not with his luck. He reached out and took Ritu's arm and pulled her protectively to his side then the two started across the plaza toward the dorm buildings. They made it to Sam's building without incident and Sam thought that maybe the man was just someone who had mistaken him for somebody else. Nonetheless, he ushered Ritu into the building and soon they were safely in his protected room, snuggled on his bed, Sam propped up against the wall with Ritu leaned up against his chest. Sam could sense the tension in the small young woman's body so he began to rub his hand up and down her arm until he felt her relax into him. Once he stopped though, Ritu sat up and turned toward him.

"Sam, you're not telling me something. Do you know who that man was?" Ritu asked softly.

"I couldn't see him so how could I know if I know him or not?" Sam asked in reply.

"Sam…you acted as though you knew who he was, even if you couldn't see him. I could tell that you were nervous about it."

"I was going on what you were saying and…well, I didn't want to risk your safety in case the guy was a nutjob or something like that."

"He wasn't watching me, Sam…he was watching you, and the way he was watching you…it was creepy. He knew you Sam, I'm sure of it."

Sam sat up and reached for his girlfriend. He gently grasped her arms and smiled. "I can't think of anyone who would be watching me. He was just some guy, Ritu. Besides, he's gone now and we're safe here so don't worry," he said before pulling the girl forward and tenderly brushing his lips over hers.

Ritu sighed as she returned the kiss, but then she pulled back and frowned. "Sam Winchester…don't you dare try to change the subject by kissing me. It's not going to work. I am worried about you! We can't stay in this room forever and if that man wants to get to you, he will whether you're locked in here or not! I think you should call your dad and brother," she cried, her dark eyes filling with fearful tears.

Sam once again pulled the young woman to him and wrapped his arms around her back. "I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to change the subject, I was just trying to calm you down. My dad and brother are halfway across the country, it wouldn't do any good to call them and besides, I can take care of myself," he said.

"Sam…you…"

"I know…I'm blind…how could I protect myself if that guy comes after me. I'm not helpless, Ritu…I know how to fight to defend myself. My dad and brother taught me well," Sam said, a hint of anger and hurt in his tone.

Ritu reached out and tenderly brushed her fingers over Sam's cheek before leaning in and placing a chaste kiss on his lips. She pulled back and smiled sadly. "I wasn't going to say that you couldn't defend yourself, Sam. I was going to say that you didn't see the look on that guys face. There's something about him that…well, there's something not right about him and he was fixated on you for whatever reason. I think he means you harm and…well, I'm sure you can defend yourself, but you could still get hurt and I…I just couldn't take it if anything happened to you, okay?" she cried softly.

Sam took Ritu's hand and squeezed it gently. "Nothing is going to happen to me, Ritu. Look, I think I should walk you back to your dorm now. I…"

"But, shouldn't we stay here? I mean, for a bit at least?"

"Ritu, I don't think there is anything to worry about, but just in case there is, it would be better to get you back to your room while it's light out and there are people all around."

"I guess you're right, but…I can go myself. He wasn't interested in me. I'd feel better if you stayed here."

"No…I'm walking you back."

"Sam…"

"He isn't going to do anything to me in full daylight with people everywhere. I'll be fine."

"He isn't going to do anything to me either, Sam."

Sam stood up from the bed and pulled Ritu up with him. He smiled as he encircled her with his arms and buried his nose in her black, silky hair. "I want to walk you back, Ritu. I'll be fine…I promise," he said, his voice muffled as he nuzzled Ritu's hair.

"Sam," Ritu whispered, her body pressing against the tall young man.

"Don't worry about me…please, Ritu."

Ritu pulled away and looked up at Sam's face. "Don't ask me to not worry, Sam…I can't make that promise to you," she said.

Sam sighed as he nodded slightly. "Okay…then I'll ask you to trust me. Trust me when I say that I can take care of myself."

"I trust you," Ritu whispered.

Sam smiled then began to move toward the door. "Come on, let's get you home," he said.

x x x x x x x x x x x x

Sam kissed Ritu softly then turned and carefully made his way down the steps of her dorm building. Ritu cast her nervous gaze around the grounds, but the man from before was nowhere to be seen. She relaxed slightly as she turned her gaze onto Sam's retreating form. Once Sam had disappeared around the corner of her building she sighed then entered the dorm, her heart heavy with worry for her boyfriend.

Sam walked at a deliberate pace, the young man eager to return to the relative safety of his dorm room. Once there he would call Dean. This was not something he could keep from his family, not if the yellow eyed man had returned and especially after hearing of Dean's nightmares. The sounds of talking and laughter around him gave him a sense of security that if the man who Ritu had seen was the yellow eyed man, he wouldn't do anything with so many witnesses. Sam mentally counted his steps, turning at the exact right time onto the sidewalk that led to his dorm building, the young man knowing that he had fifty three steps to take until he came to his building. He'd taken forty two when suddenly he ran into a solid form and would have fallen if it weren't for a strong, almost painful grip on his arm. He tried to pull away, but whoever held him was too strong.

"Let go of me! Who the hell are you!" Sam cried as he tried once again to pull free.

"Stop fighting me, Sam. We need to talk, away from prying eyes."

**Dun, dun, dun! So, that's it for now. I'll be working on the next chapter of Separation Anxiety now. Will try to get to both stories much quicker, but no promises. Thanks so much guys, you mean the world to me.**

**Cindy**


	9. Chapter 9

**It's been awhile. My crazy life is well, just that...crazy. But, I've managed to finally get the next chapter ready for you all. I have some wonderful news to share with you all...I'm going to Chicago Con in two weeks to see Jared, Jensen and many others and I'm sooooo excited! This was unexpected...I started working a second job so I could go to Chicago NEXT year. My friend emailed me saying that one of the girls who was supposed to go this year couldn't go and her weekend pass was mine if I wanted it. So, here I am...going to Chicago, with a free Jared photo op to boot. Now, I'll be working towards a different vacation next year. So, now that my happy story has been told, I'll let you get to this one. Just want to thank everyone for the wonderful comments and also for sticking with me on this and my other story. You are all so great!**

**Cindy**

"Let go of me! I'm not going anywhere with you!" Sam snapped as he brought his leg up with a sudden jerk, his knee making contact with…something. He smiled in satisfaction when he heard his assailant grunt in pain.

"Shit! That hurt! Will you stop…I'm trying to help you here, kid!"

"I don't know you! Get the hell away from me!" Sam hissed as he once again attempted to free himself from the man's strong grip.

"Bobby Singer sent me! He thinks you're in danger. Now will you stop fighting so we can get someplace safer?" the man said.

Sam stopped struggling and lifted his blank eyes. He stepped back when he felt the man let go of his arm. He slipped one hand into his jacket pocket and fumbled inside for the item he always had at hand should he need it. He pulled the object from his pocket, hoping that the man had not noticed what he was doing. "Why would Bobby send you? Why would he think I'm in danger?" he asked as he flipped the lid on the small bottle he had concealed in his hand.

"He said there are demon signs…why that has anything to do with you I don't know, but he was pretty adamant that I get here as quickly as I could. Now can we…what the…" the man sputtered.

Sam backed away as the man wiped at his face, the water Sam had sprayed him with dripping off his chin and from his thick, curly hair. "Well, your dad will be happy that you're taking the necessary precautions, kid. Are you satisfied now? I'm not a demon…I'm a hunter," he said with an impressed grin.

"Why did Bobby send you? Why didn't he come himself?" Sam asked as he finally let go of some of the tension that had had him in its grip.

"He's on his way…so are your dad and brother, but…"

"Dean and Dad are coming?" Sam interrupted.

"That's what Bobby said, but they were coming from Pennsylvania and he was at home so he called me to see how close I was to Palo Alto. Apparently they are concerned enough to have wanted someone here right away. I had a little trouble finding you…the office folks are pretty hard to get information out of let me tell you," the man answered.

"So, were you watching me earlier today?" Sam asked hesitantly.

"No, kid. I just found you. Tried to get into your building, but it's locked, then I lucked out when you came around the corner."

"How'd you know it was me? Have we met before?"

"No, we haven't, but…I knew you were blind and…well, haven't seen any other blind kids walking around so…"

"Oh…yeah…I guess that would be a dead giveaway," Sam said. "So, it wasn't you earlier then?"

"Um…no. Someone was watching you?"

"Well, my girlfriend said there was a man watching me when we were having lunch."

"Okay…let's get you into your building. I'm assuming you have your room protected?"

"Yeah…of course."

"Then let's go. If someone is watching you, I'm willing to bet it's related to what your dad and Bobby are fearing right now."

Sam nodded and began to walk toward his building. He felt a much gentler grip on his arm then before and though he wanted to shake it off, he allowed the man to keep contact with him. Sam used his entrance key to gain access to the building then the two made their way up to his floor. Once they were safely in his room, the door locked tightly behind them, Sam went to the small refrigerator and opened the door. "I don't have anything other than cola…do you want one?" he offered as he reached inside and took a can in his hand.

"No, kid…I'm fine," the man answered as he looked around the room, the hunter impressed with the subtle way Sam had protected his room from most any supernatural force that may try to gain entrance. He glanced at the empty, unused bed across from the one that was most obviously used and cocked his head. "No roommate?" he asked as he made his way to the bed and sat down on the bare mattress.

"Um…no. He asked to be moved after the first week here. Guess a blind guy who didn't party was putting a cramp in his style so…I have the room to myself," Sam answered with a shrug. He deftly made his way to his bed and sat down, placing his soda on the small table that separated the two beds.

"Probably for the best, considering."

"Yeah, probably. So, what's your name?"

"Roger."

"Just Roger?"

"You really don't need my last name, kid. The less you know the better…you know that."

Sam shrugged before reaching for his soda and taking a sip. "I was just asking. No big deal," he said. "So, how long do you have to babysit me?"

Roger chuckled as he leaned over and placed his elbows on his knees. "Until Bobby gets here I suppose. He was heading out right after he talked to me. Then your dad and brother should be getting here some time tomorrow night…probably close to midnight. Don't know if they'll need me to stick around and help with your…demon problem," Roger answered.

Sam nodded nervously, his hands fiddling with the can of soda. "I'm sorry you had to go out of your way to come here," he said softly.

"Wasn't out of my way. I was just half a day's drive from here and was heading this direction anyways…besides, I owe Bobby," Roger replied, his blue eyes watching Sam intently. "So, if you don't mind my asking…why would a demon be after you, Sam?" he asked.

"Um…I don't know. I…"

"Is it the one who took your sight?"

"Wh-what? How did…" Sam stammered.

"Look, things get around. Most of the hunting community knows what you did for your brother, even though Bobby, Jim and your dad tried to keep it quiet. Anyway, some think your dad should have kicked your ass for what you did, but most…well, they're pretty impressed that you'd do that. That you'd go to that length," Roger said.

"He's my brother. I'd do anything for him…anything," Sam said softly as he dropped his head.

"Hey, I get it, kid. I had a brother once…lost him to a freaked out spirit five years ago. Would've died myself if it weren't for Bobby. I'd give anything to have him back, but I don't know that I could've done what you did. Never even crossed my mind to do that."

Sam lifted his head and smiled sadly toward the now quiet hunter. "I'm sorry about your brother. I don't know what I'd do if I lost Dean…or Dad," he said.

"Yeah, well…such is the life of hunters huh? Why did the demon take your sight and not your soul? That's been a question a lot of us wondered about for a long time."

"Uh…I don't really know. I thought…well, I…"

"You thought that's what you'd be giving? You love your brother that much huh?"

"More than anything in the world."

"Pretty admirable, kid. Stupid, but admirable."

Sam gave a humorless chuckle then pushed back onto his bed until his back was leant up against the wall. He drank down his soda then placed the can on the bed beside him. "So, how long before Bobby gets here do you think?" he finally asked.

"Um…I'd say he should be arriving within the next four to six hours...barring any complications," Roger answered. "You best get comfortable, kid…we ain't leaving this room until the cavalry arrives."

Sam sighed as he closed his eyes and dropped his head back until it too rested against the wall. He knew with absolute certainty that he was in for a very long night.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

"Dammit!" Bobby spat as he pushed the hood of his truck open and stepped back as steam poured from the engine, enveloping him in its sickly sweet aroma. He took off his cap and fanned it over the engine so he could see through the fog. It didn't take him long to find the problem and he rolled his eyes at his rotten luck. "Well, that ain't good," he murmured to himself as he went around to the passenger side of the truck and reached for the large metal tool box that spanned the width of the truck. Mumbling to himself, he pulled out several items including a wrench, some thick, black hose and a roll of duct tape.

Bobby came back around to the front of the truck and peered back at the engine. The steam had tapered off, giving him a clearer view of what was wrong with the aged vehicle. "Damn radiator hose has to pick now of all times to spring a leak," he muttered as he climbed up onto the bumper and sat on the edge of the engine well. He took the wrench and unloosened the bolt that held the hose to the radiator. He pulled the hose free and swore under his breath as more fluid spilled from the radiator. He shook his head then took his pocket knife from his pants and cut the section of the hose where a small crack had appeared. Next, he took the black hose and cut a piece to replace the piece he had discarded. He cut a strip of duct tape, held the small piece of hose to the main hose and wrapped the duct tape around it several times. He then matched up the other end and did the same thing. Next, he pulled a long strip of duct tape and wrapped it the length of the area of hose that he had repaired. Finally, he attached the end of the hose back to the radiator then tightened the bolt that was attached to the clamp that held the hose in place. Once he had completed this, he sat back to admire his handiwork. "Well, that should hold at least until I get to Palo Alto," he murmured as he scooted off the edge of the engine well and stepped back down onto the crumbling asphalt of the deserted road he had been traveling. He groaned as his back complained when he stood up straight.

Bobby glanced up into the night sky, the old hunter thankful for the nearly full moon that supplied the light he needed to repair his truck. His flashlight left a little to be desired so the fact that he didn't need to use it was a welcome relief. Only allowing himself a moment to rest, he walked back to the bed of his truck and deposited the items he had pulled from the box back in before he pulled out a bottle of antifreeze. Next, he unhooked a large container from the side of the pickup bed and carried both the bottle and container to the front of the truck. He unscrewed the radiator cap and poured half of the jug of antifreeze into the radiator before replacing the cap. Next, he undid the lid of the container, picked it up and sniffed the opening. He nodded then lifted the container up and poured the clear liquid into the radiator until it spilled over. He set the container down and screwed the lid back on then replaced the radiator cap. Finally, he slammed the hood shut, replaced the antifreeze and container in the back of the truck then climbed in behind the steering wheel. He started the ancient truck up and heaved a relieved sigh before pulling out onto the road. He pressed down hard on the accelerator in a need to make up valuable lost time. If the signs were anything to go on, and if Winchester luck was right on par, then Sam was in real danger and Bobby had no reason to believe that anybody's luck had changed in the past days. He prayed under his breath that his friend had arrived and had found Sam and that he would be able to keep the boy safe until more help arrived.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

"Dad, can't you drive any faster? We're never gonna get there!" Dean cried, his head turned, green eyes staring at his father's profile.

John sighed as he glanced over at his eldest son. "It won't do us or Sammy any good if I get pulled over, Dean. I'm already going 90," he grumbled.

Dean rolled his head and looked out at the passing scenery, the full moon casting an eerie glow over the trees and fields they passed. He sighed deeply then turned to once again look at his father. "Dad, what if Bobby's friend doesn't get there in time? What if when we get there, Sam's…"

"He'll get there, Dean. Sam will be just fine," John interrupted.

"How do you know, Dad? This demon…if it's the same one who showed up before, he wants Sammy. We don't know what the hell he wants with him, but he wants him. We should never be this far away from him!" Dean cried, the young man clearly terrified that he may lose his brother to the yellow eyed man.

John breathed in deeply then slowly let out his breath. He glanced over at the expectant eyes of his eldest then returned his gaze to the empty road ahead. "Dean, I don't think this demon actually means to harm Sam…if he did he would have done it already," he said.

"Then what does he want? If not to hurt Sammy, then what? Take him away from us? That would be just as bad as killing him, Dad!"

"I don't know. I really don't, but I promise you…I'm not going to let that yellow eyed bastard take your brother, or anything else for that matter. If he wants to mess with Sam, he's gonna have to go through me first," John said, teeth clenched as he gripped the steering wheel hard enough for his knuckles to turn white.

"Us," Dean murmured as he narrowed his eyes and turned to stare out the windshield.

John turned and glanced at his son, eyebrows furrowed. "What?" he asked.

Dean turned to him and tilted his head. "I said us…that bastard's gonna have to go through us 'cause he ain't getting my little brother…no way, no how."

John nodded and turned back to face the road ahead of them. "Yeah…us," he whispered.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Roger looked back at his sleeping charge and shook his head. He couldn't for the life of him figure out why a demon would be after this kid. He was soft spoken, kind hearted and smart as a whip, not usually the type that a demon would want and the older hunter couldn't believe that it was true, except Bobby Singer said it was so and if Bobby said it was so, then Roger believed him. Somehow, the kid had attracted a demon's attention and as much as he hated dealing with the evil sons of bitches, Roger owed Bobby and owed him big, so until Bobby and the Winchesters got there, the kid was his responsibility and Roger may be a lot of things, but the one thing people could count on was him taking his responsibilities very seriously. Roger silently opened the door to Sam's room and slipped out into the hall. The sun hadn't yet come up so the dorm building was quiet as he made his way to a small rec room down the hall. He went to the window and glanced outside as he pulled his phone from his pocket and punched in Bobby's number. Nothing was about outside that he could see. Nobody watched the building or lurked in the bushes, at least not that he could see, but he knew, could feel it…there was evil about and for whatever reason, it was wanted Sam Winchester. Roger was so deep in his thoughts that he nearly missed it when Bobby's tired, grumpy voice shouted through the phone.

"What…oh, sorry, Bobby," Roger said as he turned from the window and paced across the room.

"_Is everything okay, Roger? Did you find Sam? Is he okay?"_

"Uh…yeah, I'm with the kid. He's sleeping right now so I thought I'd check in with you. How far out are ya?"

"_Well, had me a bit of car trouble so I'm running a bit behind schedule, but I should be there by early afternoon."_

"Bobby, it's here and I'm gonna do whatever I can to keep the kid safe, but you need to get here."

"_It's there? Has it hurt Sam? Roger…what the hell is going on!"_

"Cool your jets, Bobby. Sam told me that someone, a man, was watching him earlier yesterday…his girlfriend saw him. Hasn't made a move, but I can feel it…the air getting thicker. I'm keeping the kid in his room because it's the safest place for him right now, but I have a feeling he ain't gonna want to stay there so you need to get your ass moving. Have you heard from the Winchesters?"

"_Balls…I was hoping we were wrong somehow, but I guess we aren't. Look, I'm going to get there as fast as I can. You just sit tight and don't let Sam leave that room, no matter what, Roger! I'll call Johnny and see how far out he and Dean are. I owe you, buddy."_

"No, Bobby…I owe you. Just get here so we can make sure this bastard doesn't get what he wants," Roger said. He hung up without waiting for a reply then headed back to Sam's room. He slipped inside and was glad to see the kid still asleep, his thin frame slumped sideways, back against the wall. Roger tread lightly across the floor and eased a blanket up over the kid's shoulders. He went to the window and peered outside then went around the room making sure that all of the wards and protections that Sam had put up were still intact. Once done, he pulled a chair to the window, pulled the curtains so that just a crack remained for him to see out and sat down. He glanced over at the young man when Sam moaned softly in his sleep then turned back to the window and settled in for the long day ahead of him.

**That's it for now guys. I'll be working on the three brothers story next and hopefully will have a chapter posted before I head off to Chicago on October 21 :D Take care all!**

**Cindy**


	10. Chapter 10

**Can you believe it? I'm finally posting another chapter :D So, since the last chapter I posted, I went to Chicago Con and got hugged by this very tall, very handsome guy who smelled really, really good and had this very sweet Texas accent...I think his name was Jared something or other. Had a fabulous time, then I got home and things weren't so sweet here. That was last week. Since getting home, my nine year old niece has been diagnosed with lymphoma and it's been a very trying week to say the least. Things are looking up for her with the doctors at 85% certainty that she has Hodgkins lymphoma, which is one of the most curable forms of cancer. Anyway, with the worry diminished a bit, I found myself in the right frame of mind to finally sit down and get this chapter done. I hope you all enjoy it.**

**Cindy**

Roger watched Sam and smiled at how hard the young man fought against the sleep that was trying it's hardest to pull him under. Not that Roger blamed the kid. Sam didn't know Roger from a hole in the ground and here he was saying that a demon was after him and that he was the only line of defense. Kid really had no reason to fully trust him, but the fact that Bobby was mentioned gave just enough trust to make the young man let him enter his room, but a fraction of distrust was keeping the kid from getting the rest he needed. Roger thought about telling Sam to just get some sleep, but he knew it would do no good so he just waited patiently, the older hunter knowing that eventually sleep would win out and he would be able to step out of the room without worrying about the kid leaving. He just hoped the young man succumbed soon because the hairs on the back of his neck were standing at attention and he wanted to make a sweep of the area surrounding the dorm building without needlessly worrying the kid. He had his own protections so he felt confident he could leave the relative safety of the room and maybe, just maybe take the threat out if it appeared before Bobby ever got there. If he could do that, then he could feel that he had paid his friend back, at least in part for saving his life all those years ago. Plus, in the short time he'd been with Sam, he'd come to like the kid. He was impressed with how well the young man handled himself despite his disability and also with how well he was dealing with the fact that a demon was after him. He didn't appear to be freaked out and if he was, he hid it well.

Roger sat forward as Sam's eyes closed and for once didn't immediately pop back open. The young man's head drooped forward slightly, his breathing evening out as sleep finally claimed him. Roger waited for another five minutes before standing and retrieving the keys Sam had set on the table between them. He moved to the door and with one glance back at Sam, he opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. He silently shut the door behind him, but not before making sure that the salt line had not been disturbed. He found a small common area just down the hall and stepped inside then pulled out his phone. He punched in a number and waited for the call to be answered.

"_Roger? 'bout damn time you call me! You with Sam?" _

"Wow…nice to hear your voice too, Singer. And yes, I'm with Sam. Kid's sleeping at the moment," Roger answered with a grin.

"_So he's safe? Got all his fingers and toes…no bumps or bruises?"_

"Well, none that are visible. Of course, I didn't make him strip so I could check for injuries. He's fine, Bobby…a bit unnerved, but he's amazingly calm considering what I've told him," Roger replied.

"_What exactly did you tell him?"_

"Just what you told me. Kid put up a fight when I first confronted him. Pretty good for not being able to see."

"_Yeah…well, he's been taught by the best. So, I suppose there wasn't any way to get him to trust you without telling him what's going on?"_

"No way, Bobby. Even after I told him you'd sent me, he drenched me with holy water. Plus, I think he already had an idea that something wasn't quite right."

"_What do you mean?"_

"Well, he said someone was watching him earlier today. Asked if it was me."

"_Balls! How the hell did he know someone was watching him?"_

"He said his girlfriend told him. Some guy was watching him when they were having lunch."

"_The kid's got a girlfriend? Well, I'll be damned."_

Roger chuckled at the affection he heard in Bobby's voice. Wasn't often, actually never, that he'd heard that tone in his old friends voice and it made him smile to hear it now. Maybe the old grouch wasn't such a hardass after all. "You didn't know?" he asked with a grin.

"_Hell no, I didn't know. Not my job to keep up on every little thing goin' on in that kid's life. I was just surprised, that's all."_

"Uh huh…sure. Anyway, I'm just about to sweep the perimeter of the dorm. Got this feeling that something's close. How far out are you?"

"_No, Roger. You just stay put in Sam's room. I'm about two hours out and knowing John, he's put the pedal to the metal and should get there earlier than expected. I don't want you trying to be a hero here. Just stay with the kid until I get there."_

"Bobby…he's close. I can feel it. If I can take him out, I…"

"_No! This isn't negotiable. What if something happened to you and Sam came looking for you? He'd be a sitting duck. He's a tough one, but he'd be no match for this demon. Just sit tight until I get there, Roger…promise me."_

"Bobby…I can handle this."

"_Not this demon…it's already proven itself to be one tough bastard…and it's got an agenda. It's different from any demon I've come across before and it's going to do whatever it can to get to Sam."_

Roger shook his head and sighed. "What is this things deal? Why does it want the kid so badly?" he asked.

"_We don't really know. It's tried to get at him before, but we stopped it. It said that Sam was his and that he'd get him some day. Other than that, we really don't know anything."_

"Don't sound much like a crossroads demon, Bobby."

Roger heard Bobby swear under his breath and knew that he'd hit a nerve. He waited patiently for the older hunter to speak. _"__It __ain__'__t __a __crossroads __demon. __What __gave __you __that __idea?__"_

"Look…you and the Winchesters tried to keep it quiet, but you know how things get around. The rumor's been out there for a long time…kid made a deal to save his brother and the demon took his sight. What I don't understand is why it's still coming after him. It got what it wanted…though I don't quite understand why it didn't take his soul like those things usually do."

"_Like I said, it ain't the crossroads demon who's after him. I appreciate that you're helping me here, but I can't tell you anything else. The less you know, the better…for you and the Winchesters. Just…stay with Sam until I get there. And for God's sake, don't let him out of that room…not for anything!" _

Roger sighed as he brushed his hand through his curly hair. "Fine, Bobby…I'll stay with the kid," he finally said.

"_Good. And Roger? Don't say anything about this to any other hunters. I'm trusting you with Sam's life here and you know how hunters can get. Sam is completely innocent in all of this…he's a victim. He doesn't need hunters on his tail too."_

"I won't, Bobby…you know me. I trust you more than any other hunter out there and this kid has a way of growing on you. The secret is safe with me," Roger replied as he stepped back out into the hallway and glanced down at Sam's door.

"_Thanks for that. I'll be there as soon as I can. In the meantime, just sit tight."_

"Yeah…I will. See you later." Roger ended the call and started back down toward Sam's room. He slid the key into the lock and slipped silently into the room. Sam stirred as he shut the door, but the young man didn't awaken. Roger took his place on the bed across from Sam and eyed the kid curiously. He placed the keys back on the table his eyes never leaving his young charge. Sam murmured softly in his sleep then fell silent. Roger leaned forward and sighed. "What the hell did you do to get a demon after you, kid?" he whispered softly as he continued to watch Sam sleep.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Ritu lie in her bed sleeping soundly, but it wasn't a restful sleep at all. In her dream, the strange man who had been watching Sam was chasing them, his eyes glowing an eerie yellow. The girl cried out softly in her sleep when the yellow eyed man caught Sam and threw him to the ground, the young man fighting desperately to throw the bigger man off. Ritu rushed the man, but suddenly, a noise brought her out of her nightmare and it took the girl a moment to realize that it was her cellphone vibrating on her nightstand. She quickly reached for the phone and grabbed it up from the table, her dark eyes moving to the slumbering form in the bed across from her. She looked down and eyed the display, her stomach clenching when she saw Sam's name. She flipped the phone open and put it to her ear.

"Sam? Is everything okay? It's so late," Ritu said into the phone as she glanced at her bedside clock.

"_I __know__…__I__'__m __sorry. __I __just__…__I __really __need __to __see __you__…__um__…__well, __you __know __what __I __mean,__"_ came Sam's shaky voice.

"What's wrong? You're scaring me, Sam," Ritu cried softly into the phone.

"_I…I can't talk about it over the phone. Can you meet me?"_

"Um…yeah, I think I can sneak out. You want me to come to your dorm?" Ritu whispered as she climbed out of bed and searched for her tee shirt and jeans.

"_No! Just…meet me behind the library."_

"What? Behind the library? Why?" Ritu asked, her brows furrowed in confusion.

"_Something's happened. I can't let anyone see us and nobody is around the library at this time of night. Can you meet me?"_

"Of course I can, but Sam…what's happened? Why can't you tell me now?"

"_I just can't. Please hurry!"_

"Okay…I'll be there in ten minutes. Just…be careful, Sam…okay?"

"_I will be…you too."_

Ritu stared down at the phone as Sam ended the call the set it down on her bed so she could change into her clothes. Once she was dressed, she slipped on her jacket and placed her phone in the pocket. She crept to the door and opened it as quietly as she could. Once out into the hall, she carefully made her way to the stairwell. She descended down to the first floor then silently moved toward the reception area. She sighed in relief when she saw that the night receptionist was not at her post. She slipped through the doors and out into the chilly night then took off running toward the library, her thoughts on Sam and the horrible dream that she had been awakened from.

X x x x x x x x x x x x x

John tossed his phone on the seat beside him and glanced over at Dean who was watching him intently. "Bobby says that his friend is with Sam now and that Sam is fine," he said.

"Thank God," Dean breathed out in relief, though his fingers still beat nervously on his thighs.

John sighed as he returned his gaze to the road in front of him. "There's something else though," he finally said, the father not wanting to cause any more worry to his eldest son, but knowing he couldn't keep anything from the young man.

Dean tensed as he stared at his father's profile. "What?" he asked fearfully, his heart suddenly hammering in his chest.

"Roger, Bobby's friend told Bobby that Sam's girlfriend had seen a man watching Sam earlier today. It may be nothing, but it…"

"It's never nothing, Dad and you know it! It's him! It's that yellow eyed bastard! We're never going to get there in time!" Dean spat as he slammed his fist into the seat beside him.

"Dean…we'll get there in time. Roger has Sam in his dorm room and you know how well protected that room is. Bobby is almost there. Between the two of them, they'll be able to keep Sam safe until we get there and can get rid of this demon once and for all," John said in reply.

Dean deflated in the seat and dropped his chin to his chest. "I feel so helpless. If anything happens to him, I'll never forgive myself, Dad. I should be there with him, not…"

"We should be there, Dean. This is on me, okay? I'm the one who said we'd take this hunt, not you. I'm the one who went against what I said about keeping close to California."

Dean looked over and shook his head. "I should have fought you harder on it, Dad. I…I thought Sam would be fine. I should have known better."

"We both thought Sam would be fine…and he is. We'll end this, Dean and Sam will be free from this bastard. We're making really good time and we'll be there hours sooner than we thought."

"What if we can't stop him? What if he's too strong?"

"We will stop him…but, if for some reason we can't, then we'll make damn sure that he never gets his hands on Sammy. He'll have to go through me to get to my boy."

"He'll have to go through us, Dad."

John looked over at his son and nodded his head. He turned back to the road and pressed down on the accelerator.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Sam awoke to the feel of his phone vibrating in his jeans pocket. He straightened himself and stretched his aching neck as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He could hear a soft snore and figured Roger had fallen asleep. He flipped his phone open and placed it to his hear. "Hello?" he asked, a feeling of dread filling him, though he did not know why.

"_Sam? Where are you?"_

"Ritu? What's going on? I'm in my room," Sam answered, his voice low so as not to wake his 'babysitter'.

"_What do you mean? You called me…asked me to meet you." _

Sam sat forward, his mouth suddenly dry, breath hitching at his girlfriend's words. "I didn't call you, Ritu. Where are you?" he asked as he pushed to his feet. He reached down and felt along the table's surface until his fingers skimmed over his keys. He picked them up and headed for the door.

_"You called and said to meet you behind the library. You said something had happened and you needed to talk to me but you couldn't talk to me over the phone. What the hell is going on!"_

"Ritu, I need you to listen to me. Get to my dorm. It's closer than yours and it's protected. Run as fast as you can…I'll meet you downstairs!"

"_Sam…"_

"I didn't call you, Ritu. I'll explain when you get here…just hurry…you're in danger!"

"_I don't under…uhhh!" _

"Ritu! Ritu!" Sam cried into the phone when he heard his girlfriend's startled yelp. He heard rustling on the other end then a voice came on that turned his blood icecold in his veins.

"_Your __sweet __little __girlfriend __can__'__t __come __to __the __phone __right __now. __If __you __want __her __to __live, __you__'__ll __come __to __the __library__…__and __you__'__ll __come __without __your __guard__dog,__"_ the voice hissed.

"If you hurt her, I'll…"

"_You__'__ll __what,__Sammy __boy? __Kill__me? __That__'__s __a __laugh. __You __do __what __I __say __and __your __girl __will __be __fine. __You __have __ten __minutes __before __I __start __pulling __out __her __fingernails.__" _There was a click and then the line went silent.

"Hello! Answer me you bastard!" Sam cried as he swung open his door and stepped into the hall. He was suddenly stopped when a strong hand gripped his arm and pulled him back.

"Where do you think you're going, kid? Get back into this room!" Roger commanded.

"No! He has Ritu! He has my girlfriend!" Sam cried as he tried to pull free from Rogers hold.

"Be quiet, Sam. You want to wake the entire building?" Roger asked as he turned Sam toward him. "You can't leave this room...it isn't safe," he added.

"He's going to kill her…if I don't come, he's going to torture and kill her. I can't let him hurt her…not because of me. Please…let me go!" Sam cried.

Roger closed his eyes and shook his head. "Dammit," he spat. "Okay…fine, but I go with you."

"No…he said I had to come alone. He knows you're here. He'll kill her…"

"Look, kid…we're wasting time. Either I go, or neither of us do."

Sam thought for a moment then nodded his head. "Okay…just, just stay back. Let me go first. Please," he pleaded softly.

"We stick together, Sam. Bobby and your kin will skin me alive if anything happens to you. I'll get my bag," Roger said as he let Sam go and went back into the room to gather his things. When he returned to the hallway, Sam was gone. "Son of a bitch!" he hissed as he took off down the hall. "Bobby's gonna kill me."

**Sammy, Sammy, Sammy...not good, cutie pie, not good. I really hope this didn't disappoint and was worth the long wait. Thanks to all of you wonderful folks for sticking with it and sending me such lovely reviews and comments. You know how much I love to hear from you, even though I don't have time to personally respond to each and every one of you. Someday maybe RL will calm down and I can go back to responding each time. Anyway, thanks for reading!**

**Cindy**


	11. Chapter 11

**Well, I guess you all have waited long enough. Are you ready for the next chapter? Okay...read on :)**

**Cindy**

"Where the hell did that slippery little sucker get to?" Roger hissed under his breath as he pushed through the doors of the dorm building and out into the nighttime air. He glanced to his left then to his right, but there was nobody but him out as far as he could see.

"He's blind for craps sake…how could he have given me the slip?" the agitated hunter whispered as he made a decision and scrambled down the sidewalk to his right. He was halfway between Sam's building and the street when he caught movement just a bit to his right. He squinted his eyes and just caught someone's form slipping behind a building across the street from where he was. He wasted no time in sprinting across the street and around the building, which turned out to be the School of Law building. When he turned the corner, whomever he had seen was nowhere to be found.

"That kid is gonna drive me to drink," Roger spat as he once again took off, his eyes constantly darting back and forth looking for his missing charge.

Roger kept to the back of the Law building and once he had quickly made his way to the other end, he saw a bookstore a little ways past it. He glanced to his right, between the two buildings and could make out what he remembered as Meyer Library from his earlier search for Sam. Something told him to head in that direction, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what. He took off toward the library which was not a short distance and by the time Roger reached the front, he was out of breath and sweating like a greased pig.

"I'm too old for this sh*t," Roger gasped as he bent over, hands on his knees, and concentrated on catching his breath. Once he could breathe again, he stood and looked around. He had no idea which way to go. He didn't even know why he'd come this way and was just turning to go back the way he'd come, the hunter fairly certain Sam could not have been able to get this far ahead of him when he heard a short, pain filled scream come from around the backside of the library. He scrambled around the building, nearly tripping on what turned out to be the prone form of a young woman. The girl was groaning, her eyes blinking and unfocused. Roger cursed under his breath and knelt down to check on the girl.

"Hey, are you okay?" Roger asked as he looked into the slowly focusing eyes, his hands on each of the girl's shoulders.

"I…where's…" the girl whispered, her voice trembling. "Oh my God…Sam!" she suddenly cried out and clawed at Roger's arms as she attempted to lift herself from the ground.

"Sam? Where is he?" Roger spat, his hands moving to the girl's arms where he easily lifted her up to her feet.

The girl turned to look at Roger and tears formed in her eyes. "The man…" the girl started, but was cut off by a strangled cry coming from further around the back of the building.

Roger jerked his head around and immediately took off toward the cry, the hunter dragging the girl with him. He'd gone a short distance when suddenly, he saw two forms about fifty feet ahead of him. One figure was standing and facing the other who was knelt on the ground, his head tilted up, arms dangling to his sides. When Roger got closer he could see that the kneeling form was Sam and that the other figure held his head in his hands and was speaking to the young man, who's only response was the occasional pain filled gasp. Roger felt the girl tense beside him and before he could stop her, she cried out in fear and anger.

"Sam!" Ritu screamed as she attempted to pull free of Rogers grip.

"Quiet girl!" Roger hissed, but it was too late. The man holding Sam turned toward them and smiled, his hands never loosening their grip on Sam's head. Sam made no move to indicate he knew what was going on which unnerved Roger immensely.

"Leave hunter and I won't hurt you or the girl. The boy and I have some…business to attend to and I'd like to do it in privacy if I could," the man holding Sam said, his voice calm as cocked his head. Roger drew in a deep breath when his eyes suddenly glowed a sickly yellow. The girl beside him gasped and shrank back from the scene.

"I'm not leaving without Sam. Let him go or you'll be sorry," Roger hissed as he moved toward the two figures.

The yellow eyed man shook his head then very slightly tilted his chin up. Roger and Ritu were instantly thrown backwards, both hitting the ground hard, neither one moving as the yellow eyed man turned back toward Sam and smiled down at the boy. Sam's eyes were wide open, tears streaming from them and down his cheeks. The yellow eyed man moved his thumbs over Sam's eyes and pushed his lids down then tightened his grip on the young man's head. Sam cried out weakly then suddenly slipped bonelessly to the ground as the man let go of him. The yellow eyed man knelt down beside the boy then leaned over and pressed his lips close to Sam's ear.

"You belong to me, Sam. When the time comes, I will come for you. There is no use fighting me…you will not win." With that said, the man stood and walked away into the night, his light chuckle filling the cool night air.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Sam slipped out the side door to Stern Hall and quickly hurried toward the street separating him from the library quad. There were two libraries past the Law building, Meyer Library and just past that, Green Library. He could only assume that Ritu was at Meyer Library as that was where they would meet up each day to study and catch up. He knew he had to be quick in order to keep Roger off his trail and luckily he'd mapped out the quickest way to the library when he'd first arrived at Stanford. He knew the route like the back of his hand and he made his way at a steady pace, his disability showing no signs of slowing him down. He slipped beside the School of Law building and hurried toward the library quad, counting his steps in his head just as he always did. He reached Meyer Library and stopped, the young man tilting his head and listening for any sounds that did not belong around the building. He wanted to call out for his girlfriend, but was afraid that may bring unwanted attention to him if there were others out at this hour so instead he listened and was finally rewarded when he heard crying coming from behind the building.

Sam eased his way along the wall of the building and once he'd reached the back corner he stopped and listened, the young man furiously trying to come up with a plan to save his girlfriend. A voice he'd never heard suddenly called out making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end and a shiver to crawl up his spine.

"Sammy boy, come out, come out wherever you are! That is unless you want this pretty little thing to start losing fingernails."

Sam sighed then stepped from the shadow of the building and turned toward the direction the voice had come from. "Ritu…are you okay?" he called fearfully, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Sam…help me…please," Ritu's terrified voice called back and Sam immediately started forward, a snarl curling his lip as anger flowed through him.

"She better not be hurt you son of a bitch!" Sam hissed.

"She's just fine…for now. You come closer and I'll let her go."

Sam moved closer, his hand in his pocket wrapped around the small bottle of holy water. He never got the chance to use it. Sam cried out when he was suddenly grabbed by the arm and jerked forward.

"Sam…no!" Ritu's voice cried from somewhere to his left.

"You better run girl if you know what's good for you. Sammy boy and I have a little bit of business to attend to," the man's voice called.

"I'm not leaving him. Don't you hurt him!" Ritu snapped back protectively.

"Ritu…go. I'll…I'll be fine…he's not going to hurt me," Sam commanded.

"I'm not leaving you with him, Sam! I'm going to call the campus police!" Ritu replied as she dived for her phone that had fallen from her hand during her earlier confrontation with the man. Before she could reach the phone, an invisible force slammed into her, knocking her several feet into the air. She screamed in pain as she hit the ground then darkness overtook her and the pain ceased.

Before Sam could even scream out for his girlfriend, the man suddenly latched onto his head and forced him to his knees. Pain sliced through Sam's head and he cried out as his body was filled with coursing jolts of electricity. Through the roaring in his ears he could hear the man's voice and his blood ran cold at what the man said.

"You're mine, Sam. You've been mine since before you were even born. You can thank your mother for that, but of course…she's dead so I guess you can't. She died trying to protect you…she wanted to break the deal we had, but that wasn't going to happen so I had to kill her. I've had fun watching you trying to be normal when you're anything but, Sam…blind, demon property…you'll never know normal so you might as well quit trying."

Sam could feel his strength leaving him and there was nothing he could do to stop the attack. His arms fell to his sides, the young man no longer able to hold them up. The pain continued to tear through him until finally it was all he knew. He could no longer hear the man's voice…never heard when Ritu screamed out his name or Roger's voice threatened the man. All he knew was pain until finally, he knew no more.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

"Dammit!" Bobby spat as he slammed his phone onto the seat beside him. He'd tried to reach Roger, but each time the call went to voicemail and the older hunter was beginning to have a very bad feeling. He picked his phone back up and pushed the button for Sam's phone, the bad feeling intensifying as the call went unanswered. Bobby stared intently out the windshield of his truck and willed the city of Palo Alto to appear. He was only ten miles out, but it seemed like a hundred. He pressed his foot down on the accelerator and punched in another number, the old hunter dreading the coming conversation. He swallowed when the call was answered.

"Johnny…I think something's happened. I…I can't reach Sam or Roger…you need to hurry."

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Dean glanced over as John slipped his phone into his pocket with a deep sigh. "Dad?" he asked nervously as he studied the older hunter's profile.

John turned to Dean and shook his head. "Bobby's lost contact with Sam and Roger," he said before turning to stare out into the darkness beyond his windshield.

"No," Dean whispered as he dropped his head, one lone tear trailing down his cheek.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Roger came too with a groan, his head pounding with the worst headache he'd ever had. He rolled onto his side and pushed up onto his elbow, his eyes searching for Sam. He heard crying and turned his head slowly, his heart sinking when he spied Ritu leaning over Sam's prone, unmoving form. He pushed to his feet and stumbled toward the couple. He went to the opposite side of the unconscious hunter and dropped to his knees. He sucked in a breath at the sight of blood trickling from Sam's nose and ears. The kid was breathing, that much he could tell, but other than that, there was no way to know how bad off he was.

"Is he going to be okay?" the girl suddenly asked and Roger looked up into her tear filled, nearly black eyes.

"What's your name, girl?" Roger asked, avoiding the young woman's question as he had no answer for her.

"I…it's Ritu. I'm Sam's girlfriend. Is Sam going to be okay?"

Roger sighed and looked down at his young charge. "I don't know," he said softly as he pressed his fingers to Sam's neck. There was a pulse, but it was weak and thread. He pulled his phone from his pocket and handed it to the crying girl. "Here…call 911 while I check him over," he instructed.

Roger checked Sam over as best he could, listening all the while as Ritu relayed the pertinent information to the 911 operator. The kid was cold so Roger removed his jacket and draped it over Sam's chest then waited for the sirens he knew he'd soon be hearing. Ten minutes later, Roger and Ritu were standing back about ten feet while the EMT's worked on getting Sam loaded into the waiting ambulance. The boys face was covered by an oxygen mask and an IV line ran from the back of his hand up into a bag filled with clear liquid. Ritu jumped when the doors on the back of the ambulance were slammed shut and she took several steps forward, her eyes never leaving the ambulance as it drove away with her Sam inside. She turned to Roger and stared up at him.

"It's going to be okay, Ritu," Roger said, though he had no way of knowing if that was the truth or not. He put his arm around the girl's shoulders and pulled her to his side then began to walk back toward Stern Hall. "Come on…my car's nearby…I'm sure you want to wait at the hospital right?" he said.

Ritu nodded, but remained silent. Roger could tell she was in shock, but there was nothing he could do for her right now except get her to the hospital. They had both been looked over by another team of EMT's and both had been dubbed shaken up, but otherwise okay. They finally reached Roger's car and the older man helped Ritu into the front seat before he ran around the car and slid behind the wheel. Within minutes they were at Stanford Medical Center and settled into somewhat comfortable seats in the waiting room of the emergency room. Roger got Ritu some hot coffee and made sure she was semi-okay before he slipped outside to call Bobby. He knew he had screwed up and he didn't want to make the call, but he also knew he had to. He found a private seating area and pulled out his phone.

"Bobby…I screwed up," Roger said as his call was answered. "I know…I know…I…Bobby, Sam is at Stanford Medical Center…the bastard got to him…I know…I tried to stop him…I don't know, Bobby, he's unconscious…just get here…yeah, I know…I'm really sorry…"

Roger hung up his phone and stared out into the night. He had a feeling he'd just lost his friend and all he wanted to do was leave, but he couldn't do that. Sam was still his responsibility until Bobby got there and as fearful as he was of the older hunter's wrath, and that of the Winchesters who would most likely shoot him on sight, Roger was not one to duck out of his responsibilities. Besides, the kid had found a place in his heart somehow in the short time he'd known him and he needed to know that he was going to pull through. He'd take whatever punishment was coming his way and he'd take it willingly. He'd screwed up and now Sam may pay for it with his life. Roger sighed then headed back inside to begin what he knew would be a very long wait.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

John flipped his phone shut and pulled over to the side of the road. He leaned back in his seat and dropped his chin to his chest. He felt numb and he was finding it suddenly hard to breathe. He sensed Dean's eyes on him and he knew he must be scaring the young man. Dean was already riding the edge and John was terrified the new he'd just learned would send his eldest son right over the cliff. John sighed and looked up and over at his son.

"Dean…Sam's in the hospital. The demon got to him," John said softly.

Dean's face crumpled and he collapsed back against the seat back and drew his hand through his short hair. "This is my fault…I should have been there with him…we should have been there with him," he said.

"Dean…"

"Is he going to be okay? Does Bobby at least know that he's going to be okay?"

"He doesn't know. Roger didn't say much, just that…"

"Where the f*** was Roger when all the sh*t went down! He was supposed to keep Sam safe until we got there!"

"I don't know…Bobby hasn't gotten the whole story yet. He was just pulling into the hospital parking lot. He'll call as soon as he has any new for us."

"I'm going to kill that son of a bitch!"

"It's hard to kill a demon, Dean…"

"I'm not talking about the demon! I'm talking about Roger! If my little brother dies…I'm gonna kill him!"

"Dean…we don't know the full story yet. Just calm down."

Dean deflated and sank further into the seat. "I can't lose him, Dad…I just can't," he whispered.

"I know, Dean…neither can I," John replied as he pulled back onto the road and drove off into the night.

**Dun, dun, dun! Thank you all so much for the comments and thank you for once again being so patient. I hope the chapter was worth the wait. Take care.**

**Cindy**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey! Look, it hasn't been a month yet and I'm posting! Hehehehehehe...sorry, I'm a bit excited :D So, I know it was 3 bros turn to have a chapter posted, but inspiration struck for this one so here you go! Hope you like.**

Bobby stood outside the waiting room, his dingy, dirty baseball cap held tightly in his hand as he eyed the doctor before him with agitation. Ritu and Roger stood a few feet away. "Look," the grizzled hunter grumbled, his voice raspy from too few hours of sleep, "I'm the boy's uncle…I have authority over his care when his father isn't around."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Singer, but without the proper documentation attesting to that, I can't tell you anything about my patient's condition. It'll have to wait until his father arrives," the man in the white coat standing before Bobby said in reply.

"But what if an emergency arises? You gonna wait for his daddy to get here until you do something? I have documentation, I just don't have it with me!" Bobby snapped.

The doctor, used to this type of situation, merely nodded his head as Bobby ranted. Once the older man was through, the doctor spoke. "I understand your position here, I really do, but my hands are tied. If something happens before your nephew's father arrives and if it is life threatening, of course we will not wait to treat him, but I can't disclose anything about his condition to you…I'm very sorry. All I can tell you is what is this…Sam is unconscious, but he is stable. The results of his tests will have to wait to be revealed until his father arrives."

"Dr. Spencer, the boy is an adult. He…"

"He is unconscious, unmarried and unable to speak for himself in regards to his care. While he is an adult, he is also a student and therefore he is his father's dependant, as is listed on his school paperwork. I can't tell you anything more than I already have. You are welcome to sit with Sam, but until I have spoken with his next of kin, that is all I can offer you," Dr. Spencer explained.

Bobby heaved a heavy sigh and dropped his eyes to the floor. "What about his girlfriend? Can she sit with him too?" he asked as he looked up and glanced over at the silent girl.

"I can only allow one visitor at a time for right now so if she wants to sit with him, you'll have to wait in the waiting room," Dr. Spencer answered. "I have some patients I need to check on. Just have me paged when Sam's father arrives," the doctor added.

"Yeah…okay," Bobby said. He watched as the doctor walked down the hall then turned toward his friend and the small girl who stood beside him.

"Ritu, why don't you go ahead and sit with Sam for awhile. I need to talk to Roger about a few things then I'll be in," Bobby said.

"Uh…okay…thank you Mr. Singer," Ritu replied softly. She glanced nervously at Roger then back to Bobby.

"It's Bobby," the old hunter quipped with a tired wink.

Ritu smiled shyly then nodded her head. She turned and headed down the hall toward the elevators. Once the girl was out of sight, Bobby grabbed Roger's arm and dragged him into an empty room. With the door shut behind them, Bobby turned to Roger, his face suddenly red. "What the hell happened, Roger! I told you not to let him out of your sight!"

Roger eyed his friend cautiously then stepped toward the older man. "I only left him for a second…just to get my stuff. I told him to wait for me, but when I got back out into the hall, he was gone. Look, I know I screwed up, but…"

"You're damned right you screwed up! You had one job! Keep Sam Winchester in his room until I got here!"

"It was his girlfriend, Bobby! Now, I don't know that kid very well, but I sensed enough about him to know there was no way he was going to stay in that room when his girl was threatened! What did you want me to do…knock him out! I didn't think he'd take off on me, and I certainly didn't think he'd be able to get so far away so quickly…what with his not being able to see!"

Bobby sighed and backed up until he was able to sit down on the empty bed in the room. "Look, I know where you're coming from. That kid is one stubborn little brat and he's learned to get around almost as well as if he could see, but Roger…he could die. He is…he's everything to his family…absolutely everything…and I entrusted him to you. If he doesn't wake up…if he doesn't pull through…" Bobby said, his words trailing off as he dropped his chin to his chest. Finally, he looked back up at his friend and shrugged helplessly. "If he doesn't pull through, frankly, I'm afraid what John and Dean will do…Dean especially. That kid is his life…he won't listen to reason, he won't show mercy. I think…I really, really think the best thing for you to do is to leave…right now…before they get here. I'll be in their sights too, but I can't leave so…"

"I'm not leaving, Bobby. That boy is lying in that bed because I dropped the ball. I promised you I'd keep him safe and I failed. I'll take whatever punishment you and the Winchesters want to dish out," Roger said as he squared his shoulders, his gaze never wavering from Bobby's.

"Roger, I don't think you understand…"

"I do understand and I'm not leaving. I can't just leave Sam and I can't leave you to deal with what I caused…I'm responsible for this and I will take my punishment…whatever that may be."

Bobby stood up and shook his head. "I always pegged you to be smarter than this, but if you want to stay and face the wrath of the Winchesters…well, it's your funeral," he said.

Roger swallowed as he watched his friend move toward the door. He had a feeling that Bobby's statement wasn't meant to be a joke.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Ritu closed her eyes and took a deep breath before pushing open Sam's door and stepping into the dimly lit room. She opened her eyes and stared helplessly at the young man who lay so still in the bed. She took a few slow steps forward before finally rushing to the bed and looking down at Sam's peaceful face. He was pale, but at least, to Ritu's relief, the blood had been cleaned away from his face and neck. A nose cannula provided Sam with oxygen while a tube connected to a port in his hand delivered what Ritu could only guess was fluid to keep him from dehydrating and any medicine deemed necessary. Ritu took Sam's hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. Tears filled her eyes as she leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to his slightly parted lips.

"Oh, Sam," Ritu whispered as she pulled away, her dark eyes never leaving Sam's face. "I don't know what happened tonight so you have to wake up and tell me. I don't understand…I…don't leave me, Sam…please don't leave me."

Tears trailed down Ritu's face as she sat down on the edge of Sam's bed, her hip pressed up to his, his larger hand held tenderly between her smaller ones. She lifted his hand and kissed his fingers before lowering it to rest on her lap. "I love you so much," she said, then she softly began to hum as she watched Sam's face and waited for him to come back to her.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Bobby glanced up at Sam's lax face for the umpteenth time and sighed. "Aww, kid…I'm sorry I wasn't here for ya," he said as he looked over the unconscious young man's body. "Why'd ya have to be so stubborn for huh? Ya shoulda just waited for Roger. No, ya shoulda just waited in your room for me, your daddy and brother to get here," he added tiredly.

Bobby leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, hands clasped together under his chin. He watched Sam's face and listened to the soft sigh of his breathing. His heart hurt to see Sam so quiet and still. This was his boy. No matter that technically, John was his father. Bobby had spent so much time taking care of both the Winchester boys that he felt more than just a babysitter to them. In his heart, they were his and to see his youngest in such a state was almost more than the man could take. He slowly reached for Sam's hand and took it in his.

"You better wake up you stubborn little idjit," he said around the lump in his throat.

Bobby sat there for several more minutes silently praying for Sam to awaken when the sound of the door opening had him sitting up and gently resting Sam's hand back atop the blanket that covered him. He turned to see John and Dean standing in the light coming from the hall, their red, tired eyes wide as they stared at Sam. Dean was the first to make a move into the room, the young man pushing past John and rushing to Sam's side. Bobby's heart broke as he looked up at Dean and saw only anguish in his green eyes. He cast his gaze back to John and nodded as he stood and made room for the distraught father.

"Thanks, Bobby," John whispered as he took Bobby's place across from Dean.

"No need for that, Johnny…you know that," Bobby said softly.

"What does the doctor say, Bobby? What's wrong with him?" Dean asked as he glanced up at the older hunter.

"Doctor wouldn't tell me a thing…said he couldn't tell anybody but immediate family," Bobby answered.

"What? But you have…"

"I know I do, but I didn't have the paperwork with me so the doc wouldn't tell me a thing," Bobby interrupted. "He did say to have him paged as soon as you got here so I'm gonna go let the nurse know then I'll let you two be alone with the kid."

Bobby pulled the door open, but a deep voice called his name so he turned and faced his friend. "What do you need, Johnny?" he asked.

"You should be here when we talk to the doctor. You're family too," John said, a small, sad smile curling his lips.

Bobby nodded then turned and left the room, an errant tear making its way down his ruddy cheek.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

"What do you mean you don't know what's wrong with him? How could you not know what's wrong with him?" Dean spat as he turned on the doctor, green eyes crackling with anger.

"I mean we did scans and tests and they all looked normal. We did not find any medical reason for his unconscious state," Dr. Spencer explained as he looked at each of the three men before him.

"So, you mean to tell me you couldn't divulge this non-news to me earlier? If there's nothing wrong with the boy, why couldn't you just tell me that! You let me sit here stewing over it you son of a bitch!" Bobby hissed, the hunter glaring menacingly at the younger doctor.

"Mr. Singer, I explained all that…"

"Yeah, yeah…you explained it alright! You led me to believe that something was wrong but you wouldn't tell me what! You had me scared to death we were gonna lose Sam!"

"I'm sorry…"

"Okay, enough of this," John interrupted. "You say nothing is wrong with my son…so why is he still unconscious?"

Dr. Spencer turned to John and shook his head. "We don't know for sure. All of his vital signs are fine, his blood tests are fine…everything looks normal. The only thing I can think of is traumatic stress has caused him to shut down," he answered.

"Traumatic stress?" Dean asked.

"He was attacked…his girlfriend and friend were attacked. We couldn't find any physical injuries on him…just the nose bleed and blood from his ears, but no real reason for that either…so, the only other thing there is to look at is stress," Dr. Spencer explained.

Dean glanced over at his father and met the older man's eyes. John shook his head, just enough for Dean to notice and the younger man turned back to the doctor. "So, we just have to what? Wait and see if he wakes up?" he asked.

"I have no reason to believe he won't wake up. His mind just needs time to rest. I'm sure he'll be waking any time now," Dr. Spencer said.

"But you're not sure?" Bobby asked, his voice still angry, but calmer this time.

"No, not completely. We'll keep him attached to the monitors for a bit longer just to keep track of his vitals and that way if anything should happen to go wrong we'll know right away. I'm almost certain though that all he needs is time to rest and then he'll be waking up," Dr. Spencer answered.

"So, still only one visitor at a time?" Bobby inquired.

Dr. Spencer considered Bobby's question then shrugged. "I think what Sam needs the most of right now is all of you. As long as you are fairly quiet I see no reason why you can't all be in with him, though it may not be too comfortable since only two chairs can fit in the room."

"We'll manage," John said.

Dr. Spencer nodded then walked off down the hall. The three hunters stood in the hall outside Sam's room for a few moments talking when suddenly Dean looked up and low growl rumbled up from his throat.

"Dean, what…" John started, but before he could finish, Dean was practically running down the hallway and when John and Bobby saw why, they took off after the younger man. When they reached him, he had already slammed Roger against the wall and had his arm pressed against the surprised hunter's throat.

"Dean! Git off of him!" Bobby spat as he attempted to pry the young hunter away from his friend.

Dean ignored Bobby as he pressed his face up to Roger's, their noses nearly touching. "You son of a bitch! You almost got my little brother killed!" he hissed angrily.

John stepped in and forcibly pulled Dean away then spun the enraged young man toward him. "Dean! Calm the hell down! Do you want us all to get kicked out of here? Huh? You want to leave Sammy alone in that room?" he snapped.

"He wouldn't be in that room if this dickhead had done what he was supposed to do!" Dean blurted in response.

"I'm sorry. I…"

"Shut up, Roger! I don't want to hear your sorry right now," John spat as he turned dark, angry eyes on the gasping hunter.

Roger eyed John fearfully then nodded. "Yeah…okay. I understand. I'll…I'll just go back to the waiting room down the hall…sit with Ritu."

"If you were smart, you'd leave you son of a bitch!" Dean hissed.

"Dean…stop…"

"I'm not leaving until I know that Sam is okay. I'm responsible for this and…"

"You're damned right you're responsible!" Dean snapped.

"Dean…he's not entirely responsible. It ain't his fault the demon is after Sam…it was bound to get to the boy sooner or later," Bobby said in defense of his friend.

"Bobby…don't defend me. I screwed up…I let Sam out of my sight. I didn't realize how fast he could ditch me…"

"Yeah, Bobby…don't defend him! It's Sam in there in case you've forgotten!"

"I ain't forgot nothin', boy! I just know that this ain't entirely Roger's fault. And I also know that he could've left long before you and your daddy got here, but he didn't! Believe it or not…he cares about Sam!"

"Or not," Dean grumbled under his breath.

"Dean…that's enough. There will be time to discuss this with Roger later, but right now I want to get back to my boy, if you don't mind," John said.

Dean looked at his father then turned and glared at Roger. "Yeah, fine…we'll discuss this later…that is if Roger really does stick around," he said.

"I'll be here," Roger said, eyes locked with Dean's.

"Uh…why don't you take Ritu back to her dorm…or at least to get something to eat," Bobby suggested as he moved in between the two tense hunters.

Roger eyed Dean for a few moments longer then turned to his friend. "I already tried to get her to leave for a bit…she refuses. I'll try to get her down to the cafeteria though. If not, we'll be down the hall," he said.

Bobby nodded then watched as Roger walked away. He waited until the man had ducked into the waiting room before turning to Dean. "Dean, you need to take it easy on him. He's already beating himself up about this so just back off," he said.

"Screw him…and screw you too if you want to take his side!" Dean spat before turning and stomping off down the hall toward Sam's room.

Bobby sighed in exasperation as he watched Dean go then turned toward John and shook his head. "I guess I'll join Roger in the waiting room," he said.

"No, you'll come with me to sit with Sammy," John said in response.

"What about Dean? I don't think he really wants me there right now."

"I'll deal with Dean. He's just upset…you know how he is when it comes to Sam."

"What about you? You seem pretty calm…too calm."

"I'm upset as hell, Bobby, but blowing a gasket about something that's already done isn't going to help my boy. Besides, what you said was right…that yellow eyed son of a bitch was bound to get to Sam eventually. That doesn't mean that I don't want to have a talk with Roger though…I want to rip his head off actually, but I'm not going to."

"The guy's torn up about this, John. He knows how Dean feels…how you feel. He's lost someone to the supernatural. He'd have given his life for Sam if the opportunity would have allowed it."

"Yeah…maybe."

"No maybe about it, John."

John nodded then turned to walk down the hall. "I'll have to take your word for it," he said as he walked away.

Bobby shook his head and followed after the taller man. "Damn stubborn idjit," he mumbled under his breath.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Dean sat in the chair on the right side of Sam's bed, his elbows propped on the mattress, chin resting on his clasped hands. He was dog tired, but he refused to sleep, even when John had told him to. John had merely shook his head, settled into the chair on Sam's left and closed his eyes with the express command that Dean wake him if Sam showed even the slightest sign of waking. That was over an hour ago and still the only sounds in the room were the steady beep of the heart monitor and the soft snores coming from John and Bobby, who had found a spot on the floor in one corner and was now propped up, mouth wide open, hat sitting askew atop his head. Dean smiled as he eyed the older man. He felt guilty for what he'd said to Bobby, but his fear and anger at the time had caused him to lash out. He'd make it up to his friend later, but at the moment the only thing that mattered was Sam.

Dean looked up at Sam's face smiled sadly. "Hey, kiddo. I think you've had enough beauty rest, don't you?" he asked softly.

"Not gettin' much rest with all that snoring going on," Sam's raspy, nearly inaudible voice sounded.

Dean sprang to his feet, green eyes suddenly wide awake as he watched in wonder as Sam's eyelids fluttered then slowly opened. He drew in a quick breath to steady his racing heart then reached down for Sam's hand. "Dad! Hey, Dad…he's awake!" he called without ever looking away from his little brother.

John groaned then opened his eyes. It took him a minute to understand what was going on, but when it dawned on him, he was on his feet in a heartbeat. "Sammy?" he said, the man unable to come up with anything other than his baby's name.

Sam turned toward John's voice and smiled weakly. "Dad…you're here," he whispered.

"Of course I'm here…and so is Dean…and Bobby," John said as he reached up and brushed the hair from Sam's eyes.

"You scared us half to death, Sammy…you know that right?" Dean asked as he gently squeezed Sam's hand.

Sam turned his head and lifted his eyes to his brother's face. "You look like crap, Dean," he rasped.

Dean's jaw dropped and he leaned in closer to his brother. "Sammy? Can you see me?" he asked as tears filled his eyes.

**So? Not a cliffy :)**

**Cindy**


	13. Chapter 13

Well, I can't even begin to say how sorry I am for the long delay in getting this chapter up. I just could not get the words to come...on this story or the 3 brothers one either. I really didn't want to put something up that I wasn't happy with just for the sake of getting it posted. I'll try to get the new 3 brothers done soon so I can post it, then I'll work on the next chapter of this one. Thanks for sticking with me everyone...I so appreciate it!

Cindy

_Sam turned his head and lifted his eyes to his brother's face. "You look like crap, Dean," he rasped._

_Dean's jaw dropped and he leaned in closer to his brother. "Sammy? Can you see me?" he asked as tears filled his eyes._

**sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn**

"Y-yeah…I guess I can…I can see," Sam whispered in reply, his eyes widening with wonder. "I…what happened? Why am I here?"

"Roger screwed up and let yellow eyes get to you," Dean answered, his voice dripping with venom. The young man moved closer to the head of Sam's bed, his eyes never leaving Sam's face, his heart leaping with happiness at the life his brother's hazel eyes now held…life he hadn't seen in those eyes for several agonizing years.

"Wait…what? Roger?" Sam stammered as he stared up at his brother. "Is he okay? Is…is Ritu okay? Oh my God…are they okay?" he cried softly as he struggled to sit up. Both John and Dean gently, but firmly pushed him back down then John cleared his throat to get his son's attention.

"They're fine, kiddo. A little shaken up, but fine," John said as he stared down at his son, a lump deeply planted in his throat at the knowledge that Sam could finally see after all of this time. He'd wanted so much for his baby boy to regain his sight, but somehow he knew that the gift given them would come at a price.

"Roger's not gonna be fine for long," Dean muttered under his breath earning him a glare from his father.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked as he cast his gaze back to his brother. "Dean?"

"I mean, he's the reason you're lying here, Sammy! He dropped the ball big time and he's gonna pay for that," Dean replied.

"No…he's not to blame, Dean…I am. I took off on him when he told me to stay put…it's not his fault," Sam said, the young man staring imploringly up at his brother. "Please don't do anything to him," he added.

"He never should have let you out of his sight! His one job was to keep you safe and he didn't do that and now you're lying in a hospital bed!"

"And I can see, Dean. I don't know why, but I can see now…it had to be the demon. He gave me back my sight."

"Yeah…well…"

"Dean, it wasn't Roger's fault and I want you…and Dad…to promise me you won't do anything to him," Sam said.

"Sammy…"

"Promise me," Sam interrupted.

Dean took a deep breath as he glanced up at John. Finally, he looked back down at his brother and nodded. "Fine…I promise," he said grudgingly.

Sam turned to his father and looked up at him with wide, dewy eyes. "Dad?"

"I promise, Sammy," John said with a small smile. He took his son's hand and squeezed it gently. "How are you feeling?"

"Um…head hurts a bit and things are a little blurry, but other than that I just feel tired," Sam answered after taking a moment to assess how exactly he was feeling.

"You should go back to sleep then, ya little idjit," Bobby's gruff voice sounded from behind John. Sam cast his gaze to the older man when he stepped up to the bed and smiled.

"Bobby…hi!" Sam exclaimed.

"It's good to see you with your eyes open, kid and…hey, wait a sec, did you say things were blurry?" Bobby blurted when Sam's words finally hit his sleepy brain. Bobby turned to John, his head cocked, eyes questioning. "Did I hear him right?"

John smiled and nodded. "He can see us, Bobby," he said, his dark eyes glistening under the overhead florescent lights.

"How?"

"My guess? Old yellow eyes restored his sight," John answered, his voice taking on a fearful tone.

"But why? What does this demon want with Sammy?" Dean interjected as he placed his hand protectively over his brother's shoulder. He looked down at Sam and could see the fear in his little brother's eyes. He smiled reassuringly as he patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, Sam…we aren't letting him near you again. You just sleep and leave everything up to us," he said.

"He…he whispered something to me. I…I heard him…in my head. He…I don't understand…what does he want me for?" Sam gazed pleadingly up at first Dean, then his father, neither of which could offer him an answer.

"What did he say to you, Sam?" Bobby finally asked.

"I…it's fuzzy, but…he said that I belonged to him and that he'd come for me when it was time…or something like that. I don't understand…how could I belong to him?" Sam cried.

"You don't belong to him! You belong to us and he can kiss my ass if he thinks he's taking you anywhere!" Dean spat venomously, his fingers digging into Sam's shoulder, eliciting a soft whimper from the young man.

"Dean…ow," Sam cried softly as he pulled away from his brother's grip.

Dean jerked his hand away, his green eyes widening in alarm at what his anger had made him do. "Shit, Sam…I'm sorry! Are you okay?" he sputtered feebly.

"I'm fine," Sam whispered in reply.

"Dean, you need to calm down. We'll figure this out, don't you worry," John stated as he walked around the bed to his eldest son's side.

"How, Dad? We have no idea why a demon would want Sam. And why would it restore his sight? I mean, I'm thankful, I really am, but…I'm scared too. What does it want with my brother?"

"We'll find out, son…I promise you that," John answered as he patted Dean's shoulder. The eldest Winchester gazed down at his youngest son and smiled at the droopy eyes blinking up at him. "Sam, get some rest. We'll be right here so don't you worry about a thing," he instructed.

"I…I want to see Ritu…and Roger. When can I see them?" Sam asked softly.

"Once you've gotten some more sleep we'll bring them in, but for now you need to rest," John answered.

"'kay, Dad," Sam said sleepily, his eyes slipping shut as he succumbed to the exhaustion that pulled at his body.

Dean watched Sam for a few moments then looked over at his father. "We can't let that bastard near Sammy again, Dad. He's already been through enough. I won't let him go through anymore," he said firmly.

"He won't get near your brother…you can count on that," John said as he lifted his dark eyes from his youngest son's face and met the determined eyes of his friend and comrade who stood across the bed from him.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Ritu sat at Sam's bedside, her dark eyes watching him intently for any sign of him awakening. Dean sat on the other side of the room watching over the young couple, his gaze moving from the small, pretty young woman to his brother sleeping peacefully in his bed. He watched as Ritu took Sam's hand and tenderly stroked the back with her thumb. He leaned forward when Sam murmured in his sleep then rolled his head toward the girl. When Ritu leaned over slightly, her eyes widening as she watched Sam's face, Dean got to his feet and moved toward the bed. Sam's eyes fluttered before finally cracking open and blinking up at Ritu.

"Sam? Are you okay?" Ritu whispered, a single tear marking a lone trail down her cheek.

"I…I…" Sam whispered as he stared up at the young woman.

"Uh…I'll be right outside the door if you need me," Dean interjected as he moved his gaze from Sam to Ritu.

"Thanks," Ritu said with a soft smile as she stood from her chair and sat on the edge of Sam's bed.

As Dean moved toward the door, a raspy voice called out to him. He stopped and turned around, the young man smiling when he met his little brother's gaze. "What do you need, Sammy?" he called.

"I…just…um…don't go too far, okay?" Sam answered sheepishly.

"Not going anywhere, kiddo. I'll be right outside that door. Plus, Dad and Bobby are out there too…along with Roger. You're safe, Sam," Dean said, eyes watching Sam intently until he saw his little brother nod. He turned back toward the door and silently left the room.

Once Dean was gone, Sam turned his gaze up to his girlfriend, his eyes glistening as he took in every feature of her face. He lifted his hand and tenderly brushed his fingers over her cheek. "You're so beautiful," he whispered as he moved his fingers through Ritu's thick, black hair. "So much more beautiful than I ever imagined," he added softly.

Tears flowed freely down Ritu's cheeks as she took Sam's hand in hers and brought it to her lips. "Oh, God…Sam, you can really see me? They said…they told me you could see again, but…I…I…" she cried softly as she ghosted soft kisses over Sam's fingers. "How is it possible? I don't understand."

"I can see you," Sam said softly in reply. "I…I'm so sorry, Ritu. I'm so sorry."

Ritu cocked her head and gazed down with confusion at Sam's face. "Why are you sorry?" she asked.

"You were hurt. It's my fault…I didn't protect you…he…"

"No, Sam. It wasn't your fault. You tried, baby," Ritu interrupted as she reached down and cupped Sam's cheek.

"No, it is my fault. He hurt you to get to me. I shouldn't have let you leave…not after you saw the man watching me. I should have kept you with me," Sam cried.

"Sam, he didn't even hurt me. I'm fine…barely a scratch on me."

"But I heard you cry out on the phone…he hurt you!"

"I'm fine, Sam…I'm just so worried about you. That man…he…he threw me…and Roger…without laying a finger on us. He had you by the head…and his eyes…they…they glowed yellow. I don't understand what happened. Who was that man, Sam? What was he doing to you?" Ritu cried softly as she idly ran her fingers through Sam's hair.

"I don't know what he did to me and I can't…I can't explain who he is. I don't really understand it myself…what he wants with me. I wish I could tell you," Sam responded warily.

"I tried to stop him…I tried to help. I couldn't get to you, Sam…I'm sorry."

Sam gazed up at his girl and shook his head. "Don't do that…you have nothing to be sorry for. You couldn't have stopped him…you would have only been hurt more, or worse and I couldn't live with that. I'm fine now, Ritu…I can see you and that has to be good right?" he said softly.

Ritu took Sam's hands and smiled down at him. "It is good…so good, but…I'm afraid, Sam. I'm afraid for you. What if he comes back? What if he hurts you even worse?"

"Shhh…it'll be alright," Sam soothed as he squeezed his girlfriend's hands. "My family is here. They won't let anything happen to me. Don't worry."

Ritu dropped her eyes and sighed. "I do worry…I can't help it. I love you so much, Sam," she said, her voice thick with emotion.

Sam pulled one hand free and reached up to cup Ritu's cheek. He smiled warmly as her eyes met his. "I know you do. I love you too," he whispered as he drew her face close then lightly kissed her lips. He pulled away and looked up at her. The two sat that way for a few moments before Sam cleared his throat. "Um…I need to talk to Roger…would it be okay with you?" he asked.

"Oh…sure. I can go get him for you," Ritu replied. She pushed off the edge of the bed and turned toward the door, Sam's hand still in hers.

Sam gripped her hand, making the girl turn around. "You should get some rest, Ritu," he said as he gazed up worriedly at his girl. "Have you slept or eaten?" he added softly.

Ritu smiled then leaned over and placed a soft kiss to Sam's cheek. "I slept in the waiting room and your uncle brought Roger and I some food from the cafeteria," she finally answered.

"You need to go back to your dorm and sleep in a real bed," Sam said.

Ritu cocked her head as she stared down at Sam. "Are you trying to get rid of me, Sam Winchester?" she asked with a hand on her hip.

Sam hesitated as he watched Ritu's face then finally answered. "No, I…I'm just worried about you. You need to sleep."

Ritu's smile faltered at the change in Sam's demeanor. "Sam? Is there something you aren't telling me?" she asked.

"No. I'm just tired and my head is hurting. I'm sorry," Sam answered.

Ritu considered Sam's explanation then smiled once again. "You look tired. Maybe you should get some more sleep yourself. Are you sure you want to talk to Roger right now?" she asked.

"Yeah…I need to take care of this. I'll sleep afterwards," Sam answered.

"Okay. I'll be back later…love you."

"Love you too."

Ritu turned once more toward the door and once she was out of the room, Sam deflated back against his pillows and sighed. "How am I gonna tell her?" he asked himself, his heart heavy as he thought about what he knew had to be done. He closed his eyes as he waited for Roger to come in and soon began to drift toward sleep.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Four pairs of eyes looked toward the door as it opened and Ritu stepped out. Dean immediately headed toward the door, but stopped when Ritu put her hand up. "He wants to talk to Roger first," Ritu explained when Dean narrowed his eyes at her.

"Uh…no," Dean snapped before stepping toward the door again.

"Dean…stop," John said, the elder Winchester grabbing Dean's arm and halting his progress.

"If you think I'm letting that asshole in with Sam by himself you're sadly mistaken, Dad," Dean hissed, his green eyes moving to rest on the silent hunter standing beside Bobby.

"That's enough…if Sam wants to talk to him, then we let him talk to him," John reprimanded.

Dean cursed under his breath then turned his gaze to John. "Fine…but I'm going in with him," he spat.

"No, you're letting Roger go in to talk to Sam while you go to get a breath of fresh air," John commanded.

"But, Dad…"

"No buts, Dean. You'll do as you're told," John interrupted.

Dean narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips, then with one more glaring glance toward Roger he stomped off down the hall, muttering furiously under his breath. John shook his head as he watched his eldest son storm away then turned to Roger.

"Thanks, John. I'm really sorry about all of this," Roger said.

"Just…go see what Sam has to say, but if you upset him in any way, you'll answer to me," John said coolly.

Roger nodded then stepped up to the door and slipped inside Sam's room. As the door shut behind him, his eyes immediately looked toward the seemingly slumbering young man in the bed before him. He slowly made his way to the side of the bed and softly cleared his throat. Sam's eyes opened and once he was able to focus on Roger's face, he smiled.

"Hey, Roger," Sam said as he shifted on the bed in an attempt to make himself more comfortable.

"Hi, Sam," Roger replied, his eyes dropping to his clenched hands.

Sam sighed as he rolled his head and stared up at the ceiling. "I'm sorry, Roger…I…"

"Wait…you're sorry?" Roger asked, his head cocked in confusion. "What are you sorry for?"

Sam turned back to Roger and shrugged. "I didn't listen to you. I took off and now you have my dad and brother mad at you," Sam explained.

"They have a right to be mad, Sam. I never should have let you out of my sight. I dropped the ball and you got hurt," Roger said.

"Wasn't your fault. You were just watching out for me. None of what happened is your fault…the blame lies completely with me," Sam said.

"You were my responsibility, kid. You got hurt on my watch."

"I got my eyesight back, Roger. For whatever reason the demon had to do that, I'm thankful. I mean, it scares the hell out of me, but I'm still thankful. Besides, I could have gotten away from you even if you hadn't left me alone," Sam said, an apologetic grin curling his lips.

Roger chuckled as he gazed fondly down at the young man. "How did you disappear so quickly anyway? I can't for the life of me figure that one out," he asked curiously.

Sam's smile widened as he continued to watch the older hunter. "The first few weeks I was here I memorized almost the entire campus. I walked it, counted steps and turns. With Ritu's help, after that two weeks, I was able to go anyplace I needed to just as quickly as I could've if I weren't blind. I also memorized short cuts. You didn't stand a chance…sorry," Sam explained.

Roger shook his head and laughed out loud. "I don't know what to say. I can't believe I was outsmarted by a kid."

"Hey, I'm not a kid! I'm an adult!" Sam cried, pretending to be insulted.

"Yeah, you're an adult. Do you even shave yet?"

"Um…no?"

"There you go…you're not an adult until you have to shave every day!"

"What? No way!"

"Sorry, kid…them's the rules."

"The rules suck!"

Roger laughed again then stepped closer to the bed. "So, how are you Sam? Are you feeling okay?" he asked, his tone taking on a more serious note.

"I'm fine…really," Sam answered.

"That's good. That's really good to hear," Roger said, the older man smiling as he watched Sam blink his eyes tiredly. He could see that the young man was fighting to stay awake and he didn't want to be the one to keep him from the rest he needed. "Hey, get some sleep, kid. I'll send your family in…they're chomping at the bit to get in here," he instructed as he gave Sam's arm a gently pat.

"Thanks, Roger…for everything," Sam slurred, his eyes already closing as he lost the fight and drifted off to sleep.

Roger smiled down at the young man before turning toward the door. He silently left the room, his spirits lifted with the knowledge that he had been forgiven, at least by the one person he needed most to forgive him. With one last look at Sam, he quietly shut the door behind him.

That's it for now. More to come...most likely one more chapter. Thanks for reading :D

Cindy


	14. Chapter 14

**Well, it took a loooong time, but I finally got this chapter done. I worked on it whenever I got a break at work and since the first half of the month is the busiest, well, not a lot of time to write. I had planned on this being the final chapter, but just couldn't get it to that point. So, I guess there will be one more chapter...if that's okay with you all :D Anyway, I'll let you get to it.**

**Cindy**

Sam stood before the mirror, hazel eyes slightly narrowed as he stared at the unfamiliar reflection that stared back at him. Gone was the boyish face he remembered from years before, the soft contours of pre-teen features replaced with the more distinctive lines and angles of one who had reached young adulthood. He reached up and softly drew his fingers over his cheekbones then down around the edge of his jawline. He turned his head one way then the other, his eyes never leaving his reflection. He stepped back until he could see his torso in the mirror. He was no longer the skinny kid he used to be and though he knew he had changed, felt it as the years had gone by, to see it for the first time was shocking to him. Tears formed when he thought about all that he had missed seeing as he had grown and matured. He had caught glimpses of the outside world through his hospital room window, but hadn't ventured close enough to take in a good hard look. His thoughts then strayed to his family, to how much they had changed from the last time he'd seen them and if as in answer to his thoughts, there suddenly came a soft knock on the door before it slid open wide enough for Dean to poke his head in, his green eyes immediately locking with Sam's as the younger brother turned to look at him over his shoulder.

"You almost ready in here, princess?" Dean asked as he stepped fully into the small room. "Dad's waiting with the car and, because I'm such an awesome brother, I was able to talk the pretty nurse into letting me walk you out of here instead of you having to use the wheelchair," he added with an eyebrow pump.

"Thanks, Dean…I'm almost ready, just…" Sam answered, his words trailing as he stared at his brother's face.

Dean cocked his head and eyed his brother warily. "Everything okay, Sam? Are you feeling okay?" he asked, his voice suddenly filled with concern.

"I'm fine. I was just…I…you look so different, Dean," Sam said, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "You look older and…"

"More awesome, right? That's what you were gonna say, huh…I look more awesome than you remember," Dean quipped, wide grin brightening his face as he draped his arm around Sam's neck and pulled him from the bathroom.

Sam chuckled lightly as he allowed himself to be guided toward the door. "Um…I was actually gonna say that you look tired, Dean. You and Dad. You both look so tired," he said softly.

Dean sighed as he opened the door to Sam's room and held it for Sam as the younger brother stepped out into the hall. "It's been hard, you know? And Dad, he's blamed himself from the beginning. He…"

"I'm sorry. I guess it would've been just as hard on you and Dad as it was on me. I don't regret it though, Dean. I'd do it again if I had to," Sam said.

Dean glanced over at his brother and smiled sadly. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Sammy. I'm alive because of what you did and even though I was so pissed at you, and myself, I'm grateful to you…and I know you'd do it again, which scares the shit out of me by the way," he replied as he gave Sam's shoulder a soft nudge with his own.

Sam grinned as he walked next to his brother down the hall. "Well, don't give me a reason to have to do it all again, okay?" The grin quickly faded from Sam's lips and he became silent as he walked along. The two brothers stepped onto the elevator and once the door slid shut, Dean turned to his suddenly brooding brother and frowned.

"What's going on in that freaky head of yours, Sammy?" Dean asked.

Sam glanced over and Dean was taken aback by the sadness he saw in the eyes that stared back at him. "I…I have to break things off with Ritu and…and I don't know how to do it. It's gonna hurt her so much and she doesn't deserve it, Dean, but…I have to do it, to keep her safe," Sam finally said as he turned his head away.

Dean closed his eyes and swore under his breath. He hated that Sam had to go through this, but he understood where his brother was coming from. He had come to the same conclusion about the young woman. Ritu had been targeted in order to get to Sam and with the yellow eyed man still out there, Dean knew it had to be done. It was going to kill Sam to have to hurt Ritu, but it was the only way to keep her out of the trouble they were in. Dean wrapped his arm around Sam's shoulders and smiled sympathetically at his brother.

"I know, Sammy…Dad and I have been thinking the same thing, but…we knew it had to be your decision so we didn't mention it. I'm really sorry, kiddo," Dean said, his heart aching at seeing Sam so miserable all of the sudden.

"I just got to see her…I mean, really see her and now…now I'll never see her again," Sam said, tears filling his eyes as he sniffled and turned his face away.

"You can still see her, can't you? I mean, around campus and stuff? Assuming you're planning on staying?" Dean asked.

Sam shrugged as he turned to glance at his brother again. "I can't see her anymore…it's too dangerous, even if we aren't together anymore. I'll leave if I have to…I'll do anything to make sure that she's safe," Sam answered softly.

"Even leave college?"

"Yes, even that. She's more important than school, Dean, and I would never ask her to give up Stanford just so I can stay."

"But it's your dream, Sammy. You worked so damned hard to get in here…harder than most others. You can't…"

"She worked just as hard, Dean. She has a dream, just like me. I can't let mine take priority over hers. This whole fiasco is because of me somehow…why should she be the one to sacrifice her dream?"

The elevator door slowly slid open and Dean watched as Sam hurried out into the lobby of the hospital. He stepped out behind his brother and hurried to catch up. Once he did, he grasped Sam's arm and stopped him just inside the hospital doors. Sam turned to him, hazel eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I'm fine, Dean," he said softly. "I'll be with you and Dad, just like you want."

Dean sighed as he dropped his gaze to the floor. He looked up again and shook his head, slowly. "I want you to be happy, Sammy…that's what I want, and you're happy here getting your geek on. Would I feel better having you with Dad and me?" Dean asked before continuing on when Sam dropped his eyes. "Yeah, sure I would, but that's not what will make you happy…so…as much as it kills me to say this, I think you should keep doing the college thing and let Dad and me keep doing the hunting evil thing."

Sam looked back up into his brothers eyes and shrugged. "I'm happy being with you and Dad…I just…being blind put you guys into too much danger. Constantly worrying about me, not having your heads fully in the hunt…but now…now you wouldn't have to worry so much about me," he said.

Dean cocked his head and eyed his brother suspiciously. "Sammy, are you saying you only came to college to protect Dad and me? I thought this was what you wanted… a normal life free of hunting," he said.

Sam shrugged again and cast his gaze out the front doors to where he could see the waiting Impala, his father's figure behind the wheel. He looked back at Dean and sighed. "I don't know what I want anymore, Dean. I just…I don't know," he replied softly.

Dean watched his brother for a few moments then began to pull him towards the door. "Why don't we not think about it for right now. Let's just get you to the motel and then later, after you've rested up and we've eaten, we can talk about it. I don't want you making a snap decision based on what you think Dad and I want, or what Ritu does, whether she stays here or goes. Does that sound like a plan?"

"Yeah, sure, Dean. We can figure it out later," Sam answered as he allowed himself to be pulled out the doors and to the Impala. Once he and Dean were in the car and the doors were closed, John pulled away from the hospital, his dark eyes glancing over his shoulder at his youngest son who sat silently in the back seat. He glanced curiously over at Dean who merely shook his head slightly and mouthed that they would talk later. John nodded then turned his gaze to the world beyond the windshield of the car.

"So, Sammy…you hungry? Want to get something to eat before we go to the motel?" John asked as he pulled out of the parking lot and onto the street.

Sam pulled his eyes away from the passing scenery and glanced up at his father's profile. "Whatever you want, Dad," he answered.

"I asked what you wanted, kiddo," John said.

"I could eat," Sam said with a grin and a shrug. John, however, did not miss the hint of sadness in his voice and once again cast a quick glance in Dean's direction. Dean smiled, sadly then turned to look out the passenger window.

"Okay then, we eat."

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

"So, I take it Sam is breaking things off with Ritu?" John asked as he gazed out over the grassy expanse of the park to where Sam sat with Ritu at a picnic table, his hands holding hers. It was obvious she was crying and John had a feeling Sam was too, which hurt him deep inside.

Dean took his eyes off of Sam to glance over at his father as the two sat on the hood of the Impala, both ever watchful of any threat to their youngest. "Yeah…sucks big time," he answered. "It's not fair, Dad…kid shouldn't have to go through this crap." Dean returned his gaze to his brother, his heart aching for the young man.

"I know, Dean, but he's doing the right thing. He'd never forgive himself if something happened to her," John said with a sigh.

"He didn't ask for this…none of it! I want to find that yellow eyed son of a bitch and rip him apart for what he's done! Sam shouldn't even be thinking about leaving Stanford, and he wouldn't be if it weren't for that bastard!" Dean snapped.

"Wait, Sam's thinking about leaving school? Why?" John asked as he turned his gaze to his eldest son.

"You know Sammy. He's afraid that once he breaks up with Ritu, she's going to want to leave because it will be too hard for them to see each other around campus. He would rather give up his dream so that she doesn't have to give up hers," Dean answered.

"Sounds like him," John said softly, his voice brimming with pride and affection.

"Yeah, so, he's pretty adamant that if one of them is going to leave, it's going to be him."

"What about transferring to a different college?"

"Nope…we had a long talk last night and he said if he has to leave Stanford he's coming back with us."

"Really…back to hunting?"

"Yeah, and I don't know how comfortable I am with that either. I mean, on the one hand he'd be with us where we can keep an eye on him, but on the other he'll be right back in the thick of things."

"If he's with us it would be a lot easier to keep him safe from yellow eyes, but…I know how much he loves college and hates hunting. I really don't know what I want to happen here," John said, the man uncharacteristically unsure.

"Well, it's not up to us so we'll just have to go with what he decides," Dean said in reply.

"Yeah," John muttered.

"So, to change the subject…where'd Roger slink off to?" Dean suddenly asked, voice dripping with venom.

"Dean, you promised Sam…"

"I promised I wouldn't hurt the bastard…never said anything about liking him."

John shook his head and glanced over at his son. "Look, I get it, okay? Sam got hurt on his watch, but I've had time to talk to Roger and to think about things. What happened really wasn't his fault and I think it's time for you to cut him some slack. He's a good guy and he truly cares about Sam…and Sam cares about him."

"Dad, he let Sam out of his sight and in my book that makes what happened his fault. If he really cared about Sam he never would have left him alone…even for a second," Dean snapped.

"He didn't have to come here. He didn't know Sam, yet he still came, even knowing that a demon may be involved…"

"He did it for Bobby, 'cause he owed him. He didn't do it for Sam!"

"Yet he stuck around, even when he knew he'd be in a crap load of trouble with us. He could have bolted as soon as we got here…hell, he could have left once Bobby got here, but he didn't. He was willing to take the blame for what happened…was willing to take whatever punishment we wanted to dish out."

"I can't believe you're defending him! Sam deserves better from you!"

John narrowed his eyes and grabbed Dean's arm. "I won't take that kind of talk from you, Dean!" he hissed. "How many times has Sam been hurt on our watch, huh? How many times have you been hurt on mine? Let's not forget whose watch Sammy was on when he made that deal…or the reason why he made the deal in the first place! I was supposed to be watching out for the both of you. Sometimes you just can't stop things from happening. What happened to Sam was not Roger's fault, and look at the positive that came out of it…Sammy can see, Dean, and that's something to be thankful for." John let go of his son's arm, but continued to watch the young man as Dean dropped his head. Several moments later, Dean lifted his head and gazed over at his father.

"You're right, Dad. I guess the fear that I could have lost my brother made me look for someone to blame and Roger was the easiest target," Dean said. "I probably owe the guy an apology, huh?"

John sighed as he reached over and cupped the nape of Dean's neck. "We both probably do, but I don't think Roger expects any apology. He blames himself just as much as we were blaming him."

"Yeah, well, I've been a dick to him. He came here, like you said, without even knowing Sammy. He tried to protect him," Dean said as he cast his gaze across the park to where Sam and Ritu sat. "Man, I hate having to apologize! What the hell am I supposed to say to him?"

John chuckled at that, his eyes following Dean's gaze. He smiled, sadly, as Sam pulled Ritu into his arms and hugged her close. "You'll figure that out, Dean…I got faith in you," he said.

The two men watched as Sam and Ritu pulled away from each other and stood. They stood and watched as Ritu walked away from Sam, the young woman wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. It took several minutes before Sam turned their way and headed back towards them, his hands pushed deep into his jean's pockets, head bent down, shoulders slumped. When he finally approached them, Dean reached out and gently gripped Sam's arm. "Hey, kiddo…you okay?" he asked as Sam came to a halt before him. When Sam looked up, red, puffy eyes still streaming with tears, Dean had his answer.

"She's leaving…gonna transfer out East somewhere if she can," Sam said softly as he met his brother's concerned gaze.

"And if she can't transfer?" John asked as he stepped forward and placed his hand on Sam's shoulder.

Sam looked his way and sighed. "Then she'll go back to India," he answered. "Either way, I'll never see her again," he added before he stepped around his family and slipped into the back seat of the Impala.

"Dammit," Dean hissed as he hurried around the car and slid in beside his brother.

John dropped his eyes to the ground and sighed. He cursed under his breath then walked around the car to the driver's door. Once behind the wheel he glanced into the rear view mirror to find Dean's arm draped around his brother's shoulders, the younger sibling pulled tightly to his side. Sam sat silently beside his brother, head slumped, chin to his chest. His hair hid his eyes, but John could tell that he was still crying and it angered him to no end that his baby had to endure this pain. John pulled out of the park and vowed as he once more glanced back at his sons that he would make the demon pay dearly for the pain it had caused his family.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Sam's heart pounded harshly in his chest as he watched his girlfriend walk towards him, a radiant smile on her beautiful face. He knew that smile wouldn't last long once he told her why he had asked her to meet him in the park and it cut him deep inside to know how much he was going to hurt her. Ritu rushed to him and reached out her hands to him, the young man taking them gently in his own. He leaned over and kissed her tenderly before pulling her down onto the bench seat of the picnic table next to them.

"Oh, Sam, it's so good to see you out of the hospital," Ritu said, her dark eyes piercing as they stared into his. She cocked her head when Sam broke the connection and dropped his eyes to his lap. "Sam? What's wrong? Is everything okay?" she asked fearfully.

Sam lifted his eyes and smiled, sadly. "I…I have to tell you something and I don't know how to say it," he answered sullenly.

"Sam, you're scaring me. What do you need to tell me? You know you can tell me anything."

"You're going to hate me…"

"What? No…I could never hate you. I love you." Ritu reached up and gently brushed her fingers over Sam's cheek.

"Not after I say what I need to say."

"Sam…just tell me. Are you…are you breaking up with me?"

Sam's eyes filled as he lifted his hand and cupped Ritu's face. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what else to do. I…"

"Why? I don't understand."

"You're not safe with me," Sam started, his voice hitching as he stared into Ritu's large, brown eyes. "That man…he's not really a man…"

"What? What do you mean he's not a man?" Ritu asked.

"You saw his eyes that night…you were hurt by him even though he never touched you. You have to know he's not…normal," Sam explained.

"Who is he?"

Sam looked away, his eyes staring off across the park as he considered his next words. Finally, he returned his gaze to Ritu and sighed. "He's…he's a demon, Ritu. He used you to get me out where I was unprotected. I can't take the chance that he'll do it again. I'd die if anything happened to you because of me. That's why we can't be together," he said.

"A demon? You don't seriously expect me to believe that do you?"

"You saw him, Ritu. You felt him, I know you did. You saw what he did to me…to you…"

"But, a demon? They don't really exist, Sam."

"They do exist. I don't know what else I can say to you except that."

"Why would a demon be after you? That doesn't make sense."

Sam shook his head and shrugged. "We don't know what he wants, but this isn't the first time he's attacked me," he explained.

"Is that how you got your sight back? From this demon?"

"We think so. For some reason, he didn't want me blind anymore…we just don't know what that reason is."

"I can't believe this. I…"

"Do you think I'm making this up so I can justify breaking up with you?"

"I don't know, Sam. I just…you want me to believe that demons exist and I'm having a hard time with that."

Sam shook his head and dropped his eyes. "I don't want to do this, Ritu…I love you so much. But that's why I have to. I can't take the chance that he'll hurt you…or worse. I can't make you believe that demon's exist. You'll have to look back at what happened…I mean really look at it. Maybe then you'll see that I'm telling the truth."

"Okay…so let's say he is a demon. Who's to say he won't still use me to get to you even if we are broken up? What good would breaking up do?"

"I'll leave…go back with my family. He won't have any reason to go after you."

"No, Sam. You worked too hard to get here…you can't leave."

"I can't ask you to leave. This is my problem. I should be the one to leave."

Ritu turned her face away, her cheeks wet with tears. "I know you would never lie to me, Sam," she said as she turned back to face him. "If you say that man was a demon, well then, I have to believe you. And if you truly believe I'm in danger by being near you, then I'll leave…"

"Ritu…"

"No, Sam…just…stop. This is my decision. I don't want to stay here if you aren't going to be here. If I'm never to see you again, then I want to be someplace different…someplace that doesn't remind me of you."

Sam closed his eyes and squeezed back more tears. "Where will you go?" he asked softly as he opened his eyes and met Ritu's gaze.

Ritu shook her head then reached down and took Sam's hands. "I don't know…maybe I'll try to transfer to a school on the East coast. If I can't do that, I'll probably just go back to India," she answered with a sigh.

"Ritu, no. Please just…"

"It's okay, Sam. They have good schools in India too," Ritu said as she smiled, sadly, up at Sam.

Fresh tears slipped from Sam's eyes as he reached forward and pulled Ritu into his arms. "I'm so sorry," he whispered into her ear.

"I know you are…it's not your fault," Ritu whispered back before pulling out of the embrace. "I need to go. I need to figure out what I'm going to do," she said as she and Sam stood up.

"Ritu, I…"

"Please be careful, Sam. Be safe," Ritu said as she turned and began to walk away.

Sam wanted to call out to Ritu, but changed his mind. He couldn't think of anything to say that would make it easier for the young woman so he just let her walk away from him. He watched her for a several minutes then stuffed his hands into his pockets and turned toward where his family waited for him. He slowly began to walk, hands pushed deep into his pockets and head hung low. He knew he'd done the right thing, but that didn't help diminish the pain he felt in his heart. In trying to protect Ritu, he had hurt her and as right of a decision as it was, it still cut him deep to his core. In that moment he made another decision. No matter what, he vowed he would never allow himself to love again. He had no way of knowing in that moment that he would forget his vow and that another would come along and steal his heart. Another who would pay for her love with her life.

**Well, that's it for now. I will try as hard as I can to get the final chapter up way quicker than it took this one. Thanks so much for sticking with me and for all of the lovely comments. Love you all!**

**Cindy**


	15. Chapter 15

**Finally, the last chapter is complete! Hoo boy, didn't think I'd ever get there :D I know it's taken a looong time, and there have been some really long waits between chapters, but you guys stuck with me and for that I am forever grateful! I won't bore you with anymore of my ramblings so why don't you read the final chapter and then you can let me know what you think! Love you all 3**

**Cindy**

The afternoon was warm, the sun shining brightly as it moved across the pale blue sky. Dean was seated on a bench outside his family's motel room, his legs stretched out before him, head leaned back against the wall, his eyes closed. He and his father would be leaving soon, leaving Palo Alto and Sam behind once again. A hunt was calling across the border in Nevada and in any case, Sam was itching to get back to classes and had been a brooding pain in the butt since the day he waved goodbye to Ritu as she'd boarded a bus that would take her to the other side of the country. She'd be finishing her year in the States at a different college and Dean knew that Sam's eagerness to return to class had just as much to do with keeping himself busy in order to keep from thinking about what he'd lost as it had to do with catching up on all of his missed work. Dean sighed as he remembered the tears Sam had tried to hide as the bus pulled away. He hadn't let on that he'd seen and had actually drawn John and Bobby's attention away from his brother until the kid had been able to pull himself together. Sam had been sad and moody ever since and as much as Dean and his father understood why, he was still beginning to get on their nerves so when the call had come for help in Nevada, John had jumped on it. They were nervous to leave the kid, but at the same time, they knew that the best way to get him back on his feet was to give him his independence back.

A slamming door brought Dean out of his musings and he glanced over to see Roger loading his bag into his truck. Dean was still mad, but not so much at Roger anymore as with the demon who wouldn't leave his family alone. He found himself actually liking the guy, admiring how even though the danger had passed, Roger still stuck around to make sure Sam was okay. He was heading out to his own hunt, but Dean had overheard him tell Bobby he'd find his way to Palo Alto every chance he could to check on Sam. Part of Dean was resentful of the idea, it was his job afterall to watch out for Sam, but the more reasonable part of him was thankful that there would be yet another ally to help them keep the youngest Winchester safe. Dean had yet to speak to the man and from the looks of it, it was now or never. He groaned as he pushed to his feet and walked over to Roger's truck.

"Uh, hey, Roger…getting ready to head out?" Dean asked as he stepped up behind the older hunter.

Roger hesitated before turning around to meet Dean's gaze. "Well, I…um…yeah I am. Gotta be in Kentucky day after tomorrow at the latest. Thought I'd head out now and drive all night when traffic is lighter," he answered in his deep, slight drawl.

"So, do you think we can talk for a few minutes…if you have time?" Dean asked.

"Um…yeah, sure," Roger replied hesitantly, the man unsure of Dean's intentions.

Dean nodded then turned and walked toward the small grassy area across the parking lot. Roger followed and sat down opposite Dean at the small picnic table in the center of the lawn. Dean had his eyes down, seemingly finding something very interesting about his clasped hands that lay atop the table. Roger watched him, warily, then finally cleared his throat when the silence became too heavy for him. Dean looked up, but still didn't speak.

"Look, Dean…I understand why you hate…" Roger started only to be cut off when Dean raised his hand to stop him.

Dean sighed as he cast a quick glance toward the motel where Sam was now standing in the open doorway of their room, looking their way with a worried expression on his face. Dean gave him a quick nod before turning back to Roger. "I don't hate you. I was really, really pissed at you…like murderously pissed, but…I finally realized that the one I was truly pissed at was myself. I wasn't here to keep Sammy safe. I promised him he could always count on me to be there for him and I wasn't. I lied to him and, well, I had to take it out on someone. You were the perfect target. I'm…I'm sorry I was such a dick to you, Roger," he said, holding his hand up again mid apology when Roger opened his mouth to protest.

Roger brushed a hand through his hair and let out a shaky breath then met Dean's gaze. "You had every right to be mad at me, kid. Still do. I was supposed to keep that demon away from your brother and I didn't. I let Sam ditch me and that bastard got to him. I'm responsible. I'm…"

"See, that's where you're wrong. You're not responsible for Sam's safety…my dad and me are. You came here to fulfill a debt you owed Bobby. You didn't know Sammy or me or Dad from iota, yet, when the shit hit the fan, you didn't run. You put your life on the line to try and save my brother…you protected him and his girl as best as you could and when things still went south and Sammy was hurt, you stuck around. You could have high tailed it out of here, but you didn't. You knew Bobby would be pissed…and you knew that Dad and I would be homicidal even though you'd never met us, yet you stuck around anyway. You stuck around because you felt responsible and because you truly care about my brother…I can see that. I should have been thanking you, but instead I treated you like garbage." Dean looked away, back toward the motel. Sam was no longer standing in the doorway, but Dean knew he was still watching them, worried that at any moment his big brother was going to start throwing punches. Dean smiled at the thought then turned his attention back to the conversation at hand. "I owe you a debt of gratitude and I'm sorry it's taken me this long to tell you," he said with a heavy sigh.

"You don't owe me anything, Dean. We're hunters, and if we're good hunters, we watch out for each other whenever we can. And I may have come here to settle a debt with Bobby, but once I met Sam, I just knew somehow… I knew he wasn't just some hunter's spoiled kid. I could see straight off that he was special so you're right, I do care about him. I don't know what that demon wants with him, but I can tell you this…I'll help in any way I can to find out. All you guys have to do is holler. That boy in there doesn't deserve what's going on…none of you do. I'm just glad that something good came out of all of this…that Sam got his sight back," Roger said as he watched Dean intently.

"Yeah, that is a plus…I'm just scared about the reason why that son of a bitch gave him back his sight, but I can worry about that later. I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry and that I really appreciate what you've done for Sam. I don't want to hold you up any longer so I'll just shut up now," Dean said with a slight chuckle.

Roger stood and reached his hand across the table. Dean stood too and took the offered hand in his then gave it a strong shake. "Like I said, you don't owe me anything…but, I can see how important it is for you so, apology accepted," Roger said before pulling his hand back and turning toward the motel.

The two hunters made their way across the parking lot then stopped beside Roger's truck. The door to the Winchester's motel room opened and Sam stepped hesitantly out into the sunlight. He lifted a hand to shield his still sensitive eyes then turned to look at the two men. "Um, is everything okay out here?" he asked tentatively.

Dean smiled as he walked up to his brother and patted his shoulder. "We're good, Sammy," he said before disappearing into the motel room. Sam watched Dean over his shoulder and once the door shut he turned to face Roger. "So, it looks like you're leaving?" he asked softly.

Roger nodded and took a step toward the teen. "Yeah, gotta hit the road, kid," he answered with a smile.

"Well then, I guess this is goodbye. Thanks for everything, Roger," Sam said.

"It ain't goodbye, Sam. We'll see each other again. Now, you take care of yourself, you hear?" Roger replied.

Sam smiled, dimples on full display, before darting forward and wrapping his arms around the surprised hunters back. Roger stood motionless for a moment, but it only took seconds before he too had the teenager in a strong embrace. The two pulled away, both hunter's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but both wearing fond smiles on their faces. "You take care too, Roger," Sam said as he stepped backward toward the room door.

"I will, kid," Roger said. He walked slowly around his truck, opened the door and slipped behind the wheel. A few moments later Sam was watching him pull out onto the street and once the truck had disappeared from sight, Sam turned and walked back to his family's motel room. He opened the door and disappeared into the dimly lit room, his heart heavy as yet another friend left him. He knew that by the next day, he would be all alone as his father and brother were planning an early morning departure for Nevada and Bobby would be heading back to South Dakota. He himself would be returning to classes come Monday and hopefully things would return to normal, at least to as normal as things could possibly be for the youngest Winchester. His thoughts turned to Ritu as he walked across the room and plopped down on the bed farthest from the door. He missed her so much and wondered how she was doing, if she had arrived safely in Boston. She had told him before she boarded the bus that she wouldn't be calling him, that it would be too hard so he could only hope and pray that she was safe.

"She'll be fine, Sammy," Dean's voice called softly, causing Sam to jump as he was pulled from his thoughts.

Sam turned and watched as Dean walked out of the bathroom and around the two beds. The elder brother sat down on the edge of the other bed and faced Sam. "I know you're thinking about her and I know this is hard, but she's fine and you are too," Dean said.

Sam sighed as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat, just as Dean was sitting, facing his brother. "I know she'll be fine…it just hurts, you know?" he said, softly.

Dean reached over and patted Sam's knee, a sad, comforting smile on his face. "I know it does, kiddo and I wish I could do something about that, but I can't. It'll get easier, I promise," he said.

Sam nodded then looked up as the door to the room opened and John and Bobby stepped inside. "Hey," he said as the two hunters walked up to the end of the beds.

"You two ready to go get some chow?" Bobby asked as he plopped down on a wooden chair that sat next to the small table by the door.

"I could eat," Dean answered with a wide grin.

"When couldn't you eat?" Sam asked with an even wider grin.

Dean turned to him and eyed him incredulously. "Hey! I can't eat when I'm sleeping!" he cried with a huff.

"If you could figure out a way you would!" Sam shot back, the young man chuckling as he slapped Dean on the knee.

Dean pursed his lips then slowly nodded his head. "Yeah, you're right. Now, let's go eat!" he quipped before jumping to his feet, patting his belly and rushing to the door.

Sam shook his head and smiled as he pushed to his feet and followed his brother to the door. He turned and smiled up at John as he passed him then stepped out into the sunlight behind Dean. John grinned as he looked over at Bobby then followed his sons outside. Bobby groaned as he stood, the old man shaking his head as he listened to the sound of the two brothers rough housing outside. "Idjits," he said fondly as he stepped out the door and shut it firmly behind him.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Early morning dawned, the night sky giving way to just the faintest hint of blue as the sun began its slow ascent. A man sat silently on a bench in the center of a small park, his presence hidden by the deep shadows of waning dark. Across the small park, a family of three said their goodbyes. The man watched as two of the three climbed reluctantly into their sleek, black car and after hand waves and soft commands to stay safe, the car pulled away from the curb leaving the tall, slender, dark haired young man watching silently after it. The man smiled as the young man finally turned, a duffel bag slung over his shoulder, and walked to the multi-storied dorm building across the way. The young man stopped just outside the door and turned his head in the man's direction, his head cocked as if he sensed someone watching him. Finally, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a key. He inserted the key in the door then pulled it open. With one last look behind him, he stepped inside and disappeared from view.

The man on the park bench stood and looked up to one window. He smiled as the light came on in the window and watched as the young man appeared, his large eyes peering out before he grasped the curtains and pulled them shut.

"Don't worry, young Sam. I'll be here, watching, and when I can't be, there'll be others to watch for me. You'll eventually forget about me…you and the others. You'll go to your classes, meet a new girl, fall in love. Your life will go on, but when the time comes, I'll come for you because you belong to me. Enjoy your life while you can," the man whispered into the cool morning air. With one last look at the window above, he turned and walked away then disappeared as if he'd never been there at all.

**THE END**


End file.
